Anisotropy of Arrival Directions of E0 > 8 x 10**18 eV Cosmic Rays and Cosmic Microwave Background

TL;DR

This study analyzes the arrival directions of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays to identify anisotropies and their correlation with the cosmic microwave background, suggesting a link between cosmic ray sources and large-scale cosmic structures.

Contribution

It provides new observational evidence of anisotropic cosmic ray arrival directions correlated with the local supercluster and CMB temperature variations.

Findings

Cosmic rays predominantly arrive from the intersection of the Galaxy and Supergalaxy planes.

The region with the highest cosmic ray flux aligns with the lowest CMB temperature area.

Evidence suggests a connection between cosmic ray sources and large-scale cosmic structures.

Abstract

Results are presented that were obtained by analysing the arrival directions of E0 > 8x10**18 eV primary cosmic rays recorded at the Yakutsk array over the period between 1974 and 2003 and at the SUGAR array (Australia). The greatest primary cosmic ray flux is shown to arrive from the region of visible intersection of the planes of the Galaxy and the Supergalaxy (local supercluster of galaxies) at a galactic longitude of about 137 degres. On a global scale, the lowest temperature of the cosmic microwave background is typical of this region.