Cosmic Ray Generation by Quasar Remnants: Constraints and Implications

Details Cosmic Ray Generation by Quasar Remnants: Constraints and Implications Cosmic Ray Generation by Quasar Remnants: Constraints and Implications

2000-06-15

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0006221v1

Mon.Not.Roy.Astron.Soc.316:L29,2000

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

11 pages Latex, no figures, uses mn and amssymb style files, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Scientific paper

10.1046/j.1365-8711.2000.03768.x

The quasar remnant cores of nearby giant elliptical galaxies NGC 4486 (M87), NGC 1399, NGC 4649 and NGC 4472 are the sites of supermassive (greater than one billion solar masses) black holes. These objects are investigated as to the viability of the conjecture that they could harbor compact dynamos capable of generating the highest energy cosmic rays. For an accretion process involving an equipartition magnetic field near the event horizons of the underlying putative spun-up black holes, the energy achievable in accelerating protons could well be greater or equal than 100 EeV for all these when only considering the drag induced by curvature radiation. Estimates of the SED (spectral energy distribution) of ambient core photons lead to the conclusion that the energy losses arising from photo-pion production in proton collisions with these target photons are relatively small for all but M87. For M87, the ambient photon field is likely to be a limiting factor. Accretion rates on the order of one solar mass per year, comparable to the Bondi rates and to the stellar mass loss rates, are associated with (greater than 100 EeV) cosmic ray generation in the other (electromagnetically dark) galactic core sites. If these sites are found to be sources of such cosmic rays, it would suggest the presence of a global inflow of interstellar gas all the way into the center of the host galaxy.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Cosmic Ray Generation by Quasar Remnants: Constraints and Implications does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Cosmic Ray Generation by Quasar Remnants: Constraints and Implications, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Cosmic Ray Generation by Quasar Remnants: Constraints and Implications will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-655608