An Alternative Explanation of the Varying Boron to Carbon in Galactic Cosmic rays

TL;DR

This paper proposes that the variation in boron to carbon ratios in Galactic cosmic rays can be explained by a correlation between maximum acceleration energy and traversed grammage, affecting cosmic ray escape and antiproton spectra.

Contribution

It introduces a novel explanation linking maximum shock acceleration energy to grammage, altering the understanding of cosmic ray energy dependence and antiproton spectrum.

Findings

The boron to carbon ratio decline is partly due to energy-dependent escape related to acceleration limits.

The energy dependence of cosmic ray escape may be less than previously assumed.

The model simplifies understanding of antiproton spectra in cosmic rays.

Abstract

It is suggested that the decline with energy of the boron to carbon abundance ratio in Galactic cosmic rays is due, in part, to a correlation between the maximum energy attainable by shock acceleration in a given region of the Galactic disk and the grammage traversed before escape. In this case the energy dependence of the escape rate from the Galaxy may be less than previously thought and the spectrum of antiprotons becomes easier to understand.