FR-0 jetted active galaxies: extending the zoo of candidate sites for UHECR acceleration

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential of Fanaroff-Riley type 0 radio galaxies as sources of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, analyzing their environments, acceleration mechanisms, and contribution to cosmic-ray flux.

Contribution

It extends the candidate sites for UHECR acceleration to include FR-0 galaxies, analyzing their spectral energy distribution and acceleration scenarios with detailed environmental considerations.

Findings

FR-0 galaxies are promising UHECR accelerators under certain conditions.

Efficient acceleration requires specific jet Lorentz factors and environmental parameters.

FR-0 galaxies could contribute to cosmic rays between the knee and ankle energies.

Abstract

Fanaroff-Riley (FR) 0 radio galaxies form a low-luminosity extension to the well-established ultra-high-energy cosmic-ray (UHECR) candidate accelerators FR-1 and FR-2 galaxies. Their much higher number density -- up to a factor five times more numerous than FR-1 with $z\leq 0.05$ -- makes them good candidate sources for an isotropic contribution to the observed UHECR flux. Here, the acceleration and survival of UHECR in prevailing conditions of the FR-0 environment are discussed. First, an average spectral energy distribution (SED) is compiled based on the \textit{FR0CAT}. These photon fields, composed of a jet and a host galaxy component, form a minimal target photon field for the UHECR, which will suffer from electromagnetic pair production, photo-disintegration, photo-meson production losses, and synchrotron radiation. The two most promising acceleration scenarios based on Fermi-I order and gradual shear acceleration are discussed as well as different escape scenarios. When an efficient acceleration mechanism precedes gradual shear acceleration, e.g., Fermi-I or others, FR-0 galaxies are likely UHECR accelerators. Gradual shear acceleration requires a jet Lorentz factor of $\Gamma>1.6$, to be faster than the corresponding escape. In less optimistic models, a contribution to the cosmic-ray flux between the knee and ankle is expected to be relatively independent of the realized turbulence and acceleration.