Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays from Galactic Supernovae

TL;DR

This paper explores the possibility that ultra-high energy cosmic rays originate from Galactic supernovae, proposing a new physics threshold for collision energies and predicting cosmic ray source spectra based on this model.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach linking cosmic ray energies to a proposed new physics threshold, explaining how supernova remnants could produce the highest energy cosmic rays observed.

Findings

Derived a formula for collision energy as a function of kinetic energy.

Predicted the average spectrum of cosmic ray sources.

Estimated collision energies for future terrestrial proton beams.

Abstract

Suppose that even the highest energy cosmic rays (CRs) observed on Earth are protons accelerated in local Milky Way Galaxy sources, with few if any from more distant sources. In this paper we treat the problem that supernovae remnants likely produce protons with energies up to about a PeV, but CRs with 100s of EeV energy are observed. We assume with minimal comment the idea that `new physics' is at work and we accept that a CR's collision energy at the Earth exceeds its kinetic energy as it travels through the Galaxy. There is some evidence that the collision energy-kinetic energy difference has been seen at the Tevatron and LHC, but it is small enough to attribute to standard physics. This sets the threshold for energy bifurcation. Based on this threshold and the CR spectrum endpoint, a formula for collision energy as a function of kinetic energy is derived. With the function and the observed CR spectrum we can predict the average spectrum of CR sources. Also we can estimate the collision energies of proton beams as terrestrial particle accelerators advance and produce beams with higher kinetic energies.