Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

Richard E. Lingenfelter

Publications and source records attributed to Richard E. Lingenfelter.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

The Origin of Cosmic Rays: How Their Composition Defines Their Sources and Sites, and the Processes of Their Mixing, Injection and Acceleration

Galactic cosmic-ray source compositions, (Z/H)GCRS from H to Pb and ~10^8 - 10^14 eV, differ from solar-local interstellar, (Z/H)SS or (Z/H)ISM by ~20-200x. Both are mostly just mixes of core collapse (CCSN) and thermonuclear (SN Ia) supernova ejecta. The (Z/H)ISM come from steady unbiased accumulation over Gyrs. But the cosmic ray mass mixing ratio, universal ISM/CCSN ~4:1 of swept-up ISM and ~10x metallicity ejecta show that (Z/H)GCRS come from basic Sedov-Taylor bulk mixing of homologous, expanding CCSN in their OB cluster self-generated superbubbles, further enriched by highly biased grain-sputtering injection during diffusive shock acceleration (DSA). Moreover, this mixing ratio now reveals that the cosmic rays are primarily accelerated as their evolving reverse shock radius and energy passes through their maxima. Refractories and volatiles, first deposited in fast ejecta and ISM grains in freely expanding ejecta, are simultaneously Coulomb-sputtered FCS by turbulent H and He as suprathermal ions into DSA that carries them to cosmic-ray energies. This bulk mixing selectively increases source mix abundancies (Z/H)SM / (Z/H)SS by ~2-10; and injection by grain condensation and implantation fractions FGC, by another ~6, while Z^0.67 Coulomb grain sputtering enrichments FCS give an added ~4-20. Applying these basic processes of mixing and injection to solar system (Z/H)SS produces grain-injected, source-mix (Z/H)SMGI that match major cosmic ray abundances (Z/H)GCRS to within 35 % with no free parameters. Independently confirming grain injection, (Z/H)GCRS shows no detectable contribution of Fe from SN Ia, although producing ~1/2 Fe in ISM, but there is also no dust in SN Ia remnants, unlike CCSN.

astro-ph.HE↗

Cosmic rays from supernova remnants and superbubbles

Recent high energy gamma-ray observations of both single supernova remnants and superbubbles, together with observations of supernovae, star formation regions, and local cosmic ray composition, now provide an integrated framework tying together the sources, injection, acceleration and propagation of the cosmic rays, so that it is possible to determine their relative contributions to cosmic ray acceleration for all but the very highest energies.

astro-ph.HE↗

Superbubble Origin of Cosmic Rays

After a hundred years of searching for the origin of cosmic rays, where and how they are made has finally become clear. Here we briefly trace that odyssey through both astronomical observations and cosmic ray measurements.

astro-ph.HE↗

Solar Activity and Cloud Opacity Variations: A Modulated Cosmic-Ray Ionization Model

The observed correlation between global low cloud amount and the flux of high energy cosmic rays supports the idea that ionization plays a crucial role in tropospheric cloud formation. We explore this idea quantitatively with a simple model linking the concentration of cloud condensation nuclei to the varying ionization rate due to cosmic rays. Among the predictions of the model is a variation in global cloud optical thickness, or opacity, with cosmic-ray rate. Using the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project database (1983-1999), we search for variations in the yearly mean visible cloud opacity and visible cloud amount due to cosmic rays. After separating out temporal variations in the data due to the Mt. Pinatubo eruption and El Nino/Southern Oscillation, we identify systematic variations in opacity and cloud amount due to cosmic rays. We find that the fractional amplitude of the opacity variations due to cosmic rays increases with cloud altitude, becoming approximately zero or negative (inverse correlation) for low clouds. Conversely, the fractional changes in visible cloud amount due to cosmic rays are only positively-correlated for low clouds and become negative or zero for the higher clouds. The opacity trends suggest behavior contrary to the current predictions of ion-mediated nucleation (IMN) models, but more accurate temporal modeling of the ISCCP data is needed before definitive conclusions can be drawn.

physics.ao-ph↗

Propeller vs. Magnetar Concepts for SGR/AXPs

Two lines of thought exist as to the nature of Soft Gamma-ray Repeaters (SGRs) and Anomalous X-ray Pulsars (AXPs). On the one hand,we have neutron stars with super-critical magnetic fields, which spin-down the stars and power the gamma-ray bursts. On the other hand, are neutron stars with typical pulsar magnetic fields, which are spun-down by magnetospheric ``propeller'' torques from fallback or fossil disks in addition to magnetic dipole radiation. Many observational facts are available for comparing and contrasting these two concepts. The facts are described and whether or not each is compatible with these concepts is presented.

astro-ph↗

Fossil Disks and Propellor Spindown of SGR/AXPs

We have shown that the interstellar media which surround the progenitors of SGRs and AXPs were unusually dense compared to the environments around most young radio pulsars. This environmental correlation argues strongly against the current magnetar model for SGRs and AXPs. We suggest instead that they are neutron stars with sub-critical magnetic fields and are spun down rapidly by ``propeller'' torques from fossil disks formed from the fallback of supernova ejecta. We show that this hypothesis is consistent with the observed properties of these enigmatic objects, and we compare the propeller and magnetar models for SGR and AXPs.

astro-ph↗

Gamma Ray Lines from the Orion Complex

We show that the 4.44 and 6.13 MeV line emission observed with COMPTEL from Orion is consistent with gamma ray spectra consisting of a mixture of narrow and broad lines or spectra containing only broad lines. We employed several accelerated particle compositions and showed that the current COMPTEL data in the 3--7 MeV region alone cannot distinguish between the various possibilities. However, the COMPTEL upper limits in the 1--3 MeV band favor a composition similar to that of the winds of Wolf-Rayet stars of spectral type WC. The power dissipated by the accelerated particles at Orion is about 4 $\times$ 10$^{38}$ erg s$^{-1}$. These particles are not expected to produce significant amounts of $^{26}$Al.

astro-ph↗