Tidal disruption jets as the source of Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays

TL;DR

This paper proposes that tidal disruption event jets are capable of accelerating protons to ultra-high energies and could be the primary source of observed ultra-high energy cosmic rays, aligning with observed fluxes and source abundances.

Contribution

It demonstrates that TDE jets can accelerate protons to 10^{20} eV and are consistent with UHECR observations, suggesting they are a major source.

Findings

TDE jets can accelerate protons to 10^{20} eV.

The rate and energy injection of jetted TDEs match UHECR fluxes.

TDE jets are compatible with a pure proton composition of UHECRs.

Abstract

Observations of the spectacular, blazar-like tidal disruption event (TDE) candidates Swift J1644+57 and J2058+05 show that the conditions required for accelerating protons to 10^{20} eV appear to be realized in the outer jet, and possibly in the inner jet as well. Direct and indirect estimates of the rate of jetted-TDEs, and of the energy they inject, are compatible with the observed flux of ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) and the abundance of presently contributing sources. Thus TDE-jets can be a major source of UHECRs, even compabile with a pure proton composition.