Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Energy Spectra and Anisotropies of Cosmic Rays

  • Published:
Space Science Reviews Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The existing paradigm of the origin of Galactic cosmic rays places strong supernovae shocks as the acceleration site for this material. However, although the EGRET gamma-ray telescope has reported evidence for GeV gamma rays from some supernovae, it is still unclear if the signal is produced by locally intense cosmic rays. Although non-thermal X-ray emissions have been detected from supernova remnants and interpreted as synchrotron emission from locally intense electrons at energies up to ∼100 TeV, the inferred source energy spectral slopes seem much steeper than the electron source spectrum observed through direct measurements. It remains the case that simple energetics provide the most convincing argument that supernovae power the bulk of cosmic rays. Two characteristics which can be used to investigate this issue at high energy are the source energy spectra and the source composition derived from direct measurements.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Asakimori, K. et al.: 1998, Astrophys. J. 502, 278.

    Google Scholar 

  • Axford, W. I.: 1981, Proc. 17th Int. Cosmic Ray. Conf. 12, 155.

    Google Scholar 

  • Binns, W. R. et al.: 1988, Astrophys. J. 324, 1106.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clay, R. W. et al.: 1997, Proc. 25th Int. Cosmic Ray Conf. 4, 185.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cronin, J. W., Gaisser, T. K., and Swordy, S. P.: 1997, ‘Cosmic Rays at Energy Frontier’, Scientific American, January issue.

  • Engelmann, J. J. et al.: 1990, Astron. Astrophys. 233, 96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ichimura, M. et al.: 1993, Phys. Rev. D48, 1949.

    Google Scholar 

  • Juliusson, E. and Meyer, J.-P.: 1973, Astrophys. Lett. 14, 153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, J.-P.: 1985, Astrophys. J. Suppl. 57, 173.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, J.-P. et al.: 1997, Astrophys. J. 487, 182.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muller, D. et al.: 1991, Astrophys. J. 374, 356.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reames, D. V.: 1995, Adv. Space. Res. 15, 41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seo, E. S. and Ptuskin, V. S.: 1994, Astrophys. J. 431, 705.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seo, E. S. et al.: 1991, Astrophys. J. 378, 763.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, L. H. et al.: 1973, Astrophys. J. 180, 987.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swordy, S. P.: 1995, Proc 24th Int. Cosmic Ray Conf. 2, 697.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swordy, S. P. et al.: 1990, Astrophys. J. 349, 625.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swordy, S. P. et al.: 1993, Proc. 23rd Int. Cosmic Ray Conf., Invited and Rapp. 243.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Enrico Fermi Institute and Department of Physics, University of Chicago, IL, 60637, U.S.A

    S.P. Swordy

Authors
  1. S.P. Swordy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Swordy, S. The Energy Spectra and Anisotropies of Cosmic Rays. Space Science Reviews 99, 85–94 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013828611730

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013828611730

Keywords

Search

Navigation