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Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays and Neutron-Decay Halos from Gamma Ray Bursts

C. D. Dermer
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Abstract

Simple arguments concerning power and acceleration efficiency show that ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRS) with energies >~ 10^{19} eV could originate from GRBs. Neutrons formed through photo-pion production processes in GRB blast waves leave the acceleration site and travel through intergalactic space, where they decay and inject a very energetic proton and electron component into intergalactic space. The neutron-decay protons form a component of the UHECRs, whereas the neutron-decay electrons produce optical/X-ray synchrotron and gamma radiation from Compton-scattered background radiation. A significant fraction of galaxies with GRB activity should be surrounded by neutron-decay halos of characteristic size ~ 100 kpc.

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BibTeXRIS

C. D. Dermer. 2001-03-20. Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays and Neutron-Decay Halos from Gamma Ray Bursts. https://doi.org/10.1007/10853853_71

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