Dual Phase Cosmic Rays

TL;DR

This paper proposes a dual-phase quantum model for cosmic rays, showing how they can exist in classical trajectories while also being in an effective quantum state with energy influenced by gravitational potential, explaining observed energy variations.

Contribution

It introduces a dual-phase quantum framework for cosmic rays, linking classical motion with an effective quantum state affected by gravity, a novel approach in cosmic ray physics.

Findings

A 300 EeV proton near Earth corresponds to a 2 PeV state in interstellar space.

Protons in the model have higher effective energy near the Sun than near Earth.

The model predicts energy variations of cosmic rays due to gravitational effects.

Abstract

A calculation based on flat spacetime symmetries shows how there can be two quantum phases. For one, extreme phase change determines a conventional classical trajectory and four-momentum, i.e. mass times four-velocity. The other phase occurs in an effective particle state, with the effective energy and momentum being the rate of change of the phase with respect to time and distance. A cosmic ray proton moves along a classical trajectory, but exists in an effective particle state with an effective energy that depends on the local gravitational potential. Assumptions are made so that a cosmic ray proton in an ultra-high energy state detected near the Earth was in a much less energetic state in interstellar space. A 300 EeV proton incident on the Earth was a 2 PeV proton in interstellar space. The model predicts such protons are in states with even more energy near the Sun than when near the Earth.