Comment on ``Cosmological Gamma Ray Bursts and the Highest Energy Cosmic Rays''

TL;DR

This paper critiques the hypothesis that cosmological gamma ray bursts are the source of ultra high energy cosmic rays, based on recent observational data that challenge this idea.

Contribution

It provides a critical analysis of previous proposals linking GRBs to UHECRs, using recent observational evidence to refute the hypothesis.

Findings

Recent data from AGASA contradicts the GRB-UHECR connection.

Observations of GRB afterglows do not support their role as UHECR sources.

The hypothesis of extragalactic GRBs as UHECR sources is ruled out by current evidence.

Abstract

In a letter with the above title, published some time ago in PRL, Waxman made the interesting suggestion that cosmological gamma ray bursts (GRBs) are the source of the ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECR). This has also been proposed independently by Milgrom and Usov and by Vietri. However, recent observations of GRBs and their afterglows and in particular recent data from the Akeno Great Air Shwoer Array (AGASA) on UHECR rule out extragalactic GRBs as the source of UHECR.