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Daniel De Marco

Publications and source records attributed to Daniel De Marco.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2007

Numerical Propagation of Cosmic Rays in the Galaxy

We present a Monte-Carlo (MC) calculation of the propagation of cosmic ray protons in the Galaxy for energies above 1 PeV. We discuss the relative strengths of competing effects such as parallel/perpendicular diffusion and drifts in toy models of the Galaxy. We compare our estimates with the results of the MC calculation for the toy models and then we apply the MC calculation to a few more realistic models of the Galactic magnetic field. We study the containment times in different models of the magnetic field in order to understand which one may be consistent with the low energy data.

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arXiv2007

Numerical propagation of high energy cosmic rays in the Galaxy I: technical issues

We present the results of a numerical simulation of propagation of cosmic rays with energy above $10^{15}$ eV in a complex magnetic field, made in general of a large scale component and a turbulent component. Several configurations are investigated that may represent specific aspects of a realistic magnetic field of the Galaxy, though the main purpose of this investigation is not to achieve a realistic description of the propagation in the Galaxy, but rather to assess the role of several effects that define the complex problem of propagation. Our simulations of Cosmic Rays in the Galaxy will be presented in Paper II. We identified several effects that are difficult to interpret in a purely diffusive approach and that play a crucial role in the propagation of cosmic rays in the complex magnetic field of the Galaxy. We discuss at length the problem of the extrapolation of our results to much lower energies where data are available on the confinement time of cosmic rays in the Galaxy. The confinement time and its dependence on particles' rigidity are crucial ingredients for 1) relating the source spectrum to the observed cosmic ray spectrum; 2) quantifying the production of light elements by spallation; 3) predicting the anisotropy as a function of energy.

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arXiv2006

Small Scale Anisotropy Predictions for the Auger Observatory

We study the small scale anisotropy signal expected at the Pierre Auger Observatory in the next 1, 5, 10, and 15 years of operation, from sources of ultra-high energy (UHE) protons. We numerically propagate UHE protons over cosmological distances using an injection spectrum and normalization that fits current data up to $\sim 10^{20}\eV$. We characterize possible sources of ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) by their mean density in the local Universe, $\barρ = 10^{-r}$ Mpc$^{-3}$, with $r$ between 3 and 6. These densities span a wide range of extragalactic sites for UHECR sources, from common to rare galaxies or even clusters of galaxies. We simulate 100 realizations for each model and calculate the two point correlation function for events with energies above $4 \times 10^{19}\eV$ and above $10^{20}\eV$, as specialized to the case of the Auger telescope. We find that for $r\ga 4$, Auger should be able to detect small scale anisotropies in the near future. Distinguishing between different source densities based on cosmic ray data alone will be more challenging than detecting a departure from isotropy and is likely to require larger statistics of events. Combining the angular distribution studies with the spectral shape around the GZK feature will also help distinguish between different source scenarios.

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arXiv2005

Cosmogenic Neutrinos from Cosmic Ray Interactions with Extragalactic Infrared Photons

We discuss the production of cosmogenic neutrinos on extragalactic infrared photons in a model of its cosmological evolution. The relative importance of these infrared photons as a target for proton interactions is significant, especially in the case of steep injection spectra of the ultrahigh energy cosmic rays. For an E$^{-2.5}$ cosmic ray injection spectrum, for example, the event rate of neutrinos of energy above 1 PeV is more than doubled.

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arXiv2005

High Energy Neutrinos from Cosmic Ray Interactions in Clusters of Galaxies

The spatial clustering of galaxies in galaxy clusters implies that the background of infrared (IR) light in the intracluster medium (ICM) may exceed the universal background. Cosmic rays injected within the ICM propagate diffusively and at low enough energies are trapped there for cosmological times. The photopion production interactions of cosmic rays with the IR photons are responsible for the generation of neutrinos whose detection may shed some light on the origin and propagation of high energy cosmic rays in the universe. Here we discuss our calculations of the flux of neutrinos from single clusters as well as the contribution of photopion production in clusters of galaxies to the diffuse neutrino background.

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arXiv2005

On the shape of the UHE cosmic ray spectrum

We fit the ultra high energy cosmic ray spectra above 10$^{19}$ eV with different injection spectra at cosmic ray sources that are uniformly and homogeneously distributed in the Universe. We conclude that the current UHE spectra are consistent with power laws of index $α$ between 2.4 and 2.7. There is a slow dependence of these indices on the cosmological evolution of the cosmic ray sources, which in this model determines the end of the galactic cosmic rays spectrum.

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arXiv2005

A closer look at the spectrum and small scale anisotropies of UHECRs

We present results of numerical simulations of the propagation of ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) over cosmological distances, aimed at quantifying the statistical significance of the highest energy data on the spectrum and small scale anisotropies as detected by the AGASA experiment. We assess the significance of the lack of a GZK feature and its compatibility with the reported small scale anisotropies. Assuming that UHECRs are protons from extragalactic sources, we find that the small scale anisotropies are incompatible with the reported spectrum at a probability level of $2 \times 10^{-5}$. Our analysis of the AGASA results shows the power of combining spectrum and small scale anisotropy data in future high statistics experiments, such as Auger.

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arXiv2005

Propagation of UHECRs

In this general introduction to Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECRs) we discuss the propagation of UHE protons and the GZK feature that is expected approaching $10^{20}\eV$ for homogeneously distributed sources. We also briefly present the effects of the propagation on other particles that can play the role of UHECRs. With the help of numerical simulations for the propgation of UHECRs, we show that the GZK feature cannot be accurately determined with the small sample of events with energies $\sim10^{20}\eV$ detected thus far by the largest two experiments, AGASA and HiRes.

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arXiv2003

The GZK Feature in the Spectrum of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays

The detection of the GZK feature in the cosmic ray spectrum, resultingfrom the production of pions by ultra-high energy protons scattering off the cosmic microwave background (CMB), can shed light on the mysterious sources of these high energy particles. Using numerical simulations we developed for the propagation of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) in the CMB we determine the statistical significance of the GZK feature in the spectrum of UHECR measured by AGASA and HiRes and we show that, with the small sample of events with energies of the order of 10^20 eV detected thus far, an accurate and statistically significant determination of the GZK feature is not possible. The data from these two experiments are best fit by two different injection spectra in the region below 10^20 eV, and a comparison of the spectra suggests the resence of about a 30% systematic errors in the relative energy determination. Correcting for these systematics, the two experiments are best fit by the same injection spectrum in the region below 10^20 eV, while above this threshold they maintain their disagreement, but only at the 2 sigma level. These results clearly show the need for much larger experiments such as Auger, EUSO and OWL, that can increase the number of detected events by one or two orders of magnitude making the determination of the GZK feature feasible.

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arXiv2003

The Small Scale Anisotropies, the Spectrum and the Sources of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays

We calculate the number density and luminosity of the sources of ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs), using the information about the small scale anisotropies and the observed spectra. We find that the number of doublets and triplets observed by AGASA can be best reproduced for a source density of $\sim 10^{-5} Mpc^{-3}$, with large uncertainties. The spectrum of UHECRs implies an energy input of $\sim 6\times 10^{44} erg yr^{-1} Mpc^{-3}$ above $10^{19}$ eV and an injection spectrum $\propto E^{-2.6}$. A flatter injection spectrum, $E^{-2.4}$, can be adopted if the sources have luminosity evolution $\propto (1+z)^4$. The combination of these two pieces of information suggests that the single sources should on average have a cosmic ray luminosity above $10^{19}$ eV of $L_{source}\approx 2\times 10^{42} erg s^{-1}$, weakly dependent upon the injection spectrum. Unfortunately, with the limited statistics of events available at present, there are approximately one-two orders of magnitude uncertainty in the source density provided above. We make predictions on the expected performances of the Auger and EUSO experiments, with particular attention for the expected improvements in our understanding of the nature of the sources of UHECRs. We find that a critical experimental exposure $Σ_c$ exists, such that experiments with exposure larger than $Σ_c$ can detect at least one event from each source at energies above $10^{20}$ eV. This represents a unique opportunity to directly count and identify the sources of UHECRs.

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arXiv2003

The GZK Feature in the Spectrum of UHECRs: What is it Telling Us?

We developed a numerical simulation of the propagation of UHECR in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and we used it to determine the significance of the GZK feature in the spectrum of UHECR measured by AGASA and HiRes. We find that these two experiments are best fit by two different injection spectra in the region below 10^20 eV and that the error bars around the GZK feature are dominated by fluctuations which leave a determination of the GZK feature not attainable at present. In addition the comparison of the spectra of AGASA and HiRes suggests the presence of about a 30% systematic errors in the relative energy determination of the two experiments. Correcting for these systematics, the two experiments are brought in agreement at energies below 10^20 eV and, in this region, are best fit by an injection spectrum with spectral index 2.5-2.6. In the high energy region (above 10^20 eV) the two experiments maintain their disagreement, but only at the 2sigma level. Our results clearly show the need for much larger experiments such as Auger, EUSO, and OWL, that can increase the number of detected events by one or two orders of magnitude.

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arXiv2003

On the generation of UHECRs in GRBs: a reappraisal

We re-examine critically the arguments raised against the theory that Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays observed at Earth are produced in Gamma Ray Bursts. These include the limitations to the highest energy attainable by protons around the bursts' shocks, the spectral slope at the highest energies, the total energy released in non--thermal particles, the occurrence of doublets and triplets in the data reported by AGASA. We show that, to within the uncertainties in our current knowledge of GRBs, none of these objections is really fatal to the scenario. In particular, we show that the total energy budget of GRBs easily accounts for the energy injection rate necessary to account for UHECRs as observed at Earth. We also compute the expected particle spectrum at Earth, showing that it fits the HiRes and AGASA data to within statistical uncertainties. We consider the existence of multiplets in AGASA' data. To this end, we present a Langevin--like treatment for the motion of a charged particle in the IGM magnetic field, which allows us to estimate both the average and the rms timedelay for particles of given energy; we discuss when particles of identical energies reach the Earth in bunches, or spread over the rms timedelay, showing that multiplets pose no problem for an explosive model for the sources of UHECRs. We compare our model with a scenario where the particles are accelerated at internal shocks, underlining differences and advantages of particle acceleration at external shocks.

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arXiv2003

On the statistical significance of the GZK feature in the spectrum of ultra high energy cosmic rays

The nature of the unknown sources of ultra-high energy cosmic rays can be revealed through the detection of the GZK feature in the cosmic ray spectrum, resulting from the production of pions by ultra-high energy protons scattering off the cosmic microwave background. Here we show that the GZK feature cannot be accurately determined with the small sample of events with energies $\sim 10^{20}$ eV detected thus far by the largest two experiments, AGASA and HiRes. With the help of numerical simulations for the propagation of cosmic rays, we find the error bars around the GZK feature are dominated by fluctuations which leave a determination of the GZK feature unattainable at present. In addition, differing results from AGASA and HiRes suggest the presence of $\sim 30%$ systematic errors that may be due to discrepancies in the relative energy determination of the two experiments. Correcting for these systematics, the two experiments are brought into agreement at energies below $\sim 10^{20}$ eV. After simulating the GZK feature for many realizations and different injection spectra, we determine the best fit injection spectrum required to explain the observed spectra at energies above $10^{18.5}$ eV. We show that the discrepancy between the two experiments at the highest energies has low statistical significance (at the 2 $σ$ level) and that the corrected spectra are best fit by an injection spectrum with spectral index $\sim 2.6$. Our results clearly show the need for much larger experiments such as Auger, EUSO, and OWL, that can increase the number of detected events by 2 orders of magnitude. Only large statistics experiments can finally prove or disprove the existence of the GZK feature in the cosmic ray spectrum.

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arXiv2003

Low Statistics of EHECRs

The nature of the unknown sources of ultra-high energy cosmic rays can be revealed through the detection of the GZK feature in the cosmic ray spectrum. The only two experiments that have probed this energy range, AGASA and HiRes, have apparently conflicting results. HiRes measured a flux consistent with the GZK feature while AGASA reported a larger than expected flux of so-called Super-GZK particles. Here we emphasize that neither experiment has gathered the statistics necessary for making a definitive measurement of the GZK cutoff. The photo-pion production responsible for the GZK feature is stochastic for energies around the cutoff leading to large fluctuations of the spectrum for low statistics measurements. We show that the results from AGASA and HiRes results are within about $ 2 σ$ of one another by simulating 400 spectra for a range of input spectral indices normalized to the number of events above $10^{19}$ eV for each experiment. If a 15% systematic correction in energy is applied to both experiments, the agreement between the experiments improves considerably and the best fit input spectral index becomes $\sim 2.6$ for both data sets. Our results clearly show the need for much larger experiments such as Auger and EUSO, that can increase the number of detected events by 2 orders of magnitude. Only large statistics experiments can finally prove or disprove the existence of the GZK feature in the cosmic ray spectrum.

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