The ubiquitous mechanism accelerating cosmic rays at all the energies

TL;DR

This paper proposes a universal electrostatic mechanism for cosmic ray acceleration across all energies, explaining observed spectra and magnetic field properties in the Milky Way and galaxy clusters.

Contribution

It introduces a purely electrostatic process as the key cosmic ray acceleration mechanism, providing detailed theoretical predictions consistent with observational data.

Findings

Maximum energies of Galactic protons are 3.0 x 10^{19} eV.

Cosmic ray spectral index in the Milky Way is between 2.64 and 2.68.

Calculated magnetic field properties match observational data.

Abstract

The mechanism accelerating cosmic rays in the Milky Way Galaxy and galaxy clusters is identified and described. The acceleration of cosmic rays is a purely electrostatic process which operates up to the maximum energies of $10^{23}$ eV in galaxy clusters. Galactic cosmic rays are accelerated in a pervasive electrostatic field active in the whole Galaxy except in restricted regions shielded by interstellar and stellar plasmas as, for instance, the region occupied by the solar system. It is proved that the energy spectrum of the cosmic radiation in the Milky Way Galaxy, in the region where the solar system resides, has a constant spectral index comprised between 2.64-2.68 and the maximum energies of Galactic protons are $3.0 \times 10^{19}$ eV. The agreement of these results with the experimental data is discussed in detail and underlined. The various physical processes that maintain the stability of the electrostatic structure in the Milky Way Galaxy are the same that generate the Galactic magnetic field. Accordingly, the intensity, orientation and direction of the Galactic magnetic field are evaluated. The results of the calculation are compared with the observational data, optical and mostly radio astronomy data. The accord of the intensity, orientation and direction of the observed magnetic field with calculation is excellent.