The effects of drift and winds on the propagation of Galactic cosmic rays

TL;DR

This paper investigates how drift motions and Galactic winds influence cosmic ray propagation, showing that these effects significantly reduce cosmic ray residence time in the Galaxy.

Contribution

It introduces a numerical model incorporating drift and Galactic wind effects with anisotropic diffusion, providing new insights into cosmic ray propagation dynamics.

Findings

Drift and wind effects shorten cosmic ray residence time.

Inclusion of these effects alters propagation models significantly.

Results suggest wind speeds impact cosmic ray confinement.

Abstract

We study the effects of drift motions and the advection by a Galactic wind on the propagation of cosmic rays in the Galaxy. We employ a simplified magnetic field model, based on (and similar to) the Jansson-Farrar model for the Galactic magnetic field. Diffusion is allowed to be anisotropic. The relevant equations are solved numerically, using a set of stochastic differential equations. Inclusion of drift and a Galactic wind significantly shortens the residence time of cosmic rays, even for moderate wind speeds