Cosmic Radiation In Contemporary Astrophysics

This volume is the product of Lecturers in the fourth Course of the International School of Cosmic-Ray Astrophysics held at the Ettore Majorana Center in Erice, Sicily in November, 1984. The Course, devoted to "Cosmic Radiation in Contemporary Astrophysics," was concurrently a NATO-sponsored Advanced Study Institute (ASI). Cosmic-ray research is in a state of ferment. Precise measure ments - some made with instruments aboard sattelites and space probe- have been confronting models and theories with severe constraints. The observations of gamma-ray sources, notably Cyg X-3, at energies up to 16 10 eV, have opened up tantalizing possibilities of direct source iden tification. This ASI was devoted largely to interdisciplinary phenomena in cosmic-ray astrophysics whose understanding requires input from the other channels in astronomy. It explored the ways in which progress in cosmic-ray science might clarify phenomena observed in related disciplines. In trying to achieve this aim, we assembled a staff of lecturers representing various astrophysical specialties, such as radio astronomy, optical astronomy, X-ray astronomy, gamma-ray astronomy, and of course, particle astronomy (i.e., cosmic radiation). Students and other participants were likewise drawn from diverse backgrounds. Vigorous discussions enlivened almost every session.

In 1912 Victor Franz Hess made the revolutionary discovery that ionizing radiation is incident upon the Earth from outer space. He showed with ground-based and balloon-borne detectors that the intensity of the radiation did not change significantly between day and night. Consequently, the sun could not be regarded as the sources of this radiation and the question of its origin remained unanswered. Today, almost one hundred years later the question of the origin of the cosmic radiation still remains a mystery.Hess' discovery has given an enormous impetus to large areas of science, in particular to physics, and has played a major role in the formation of our current understanding of universal evolution. For example, the development of new fields of research such as elementary particle physics, modern astrophysics and cosmology are direct consequences of this discovery. Over the years the field of cosmic ray research has evolved in various directions: Firstly, the field of particle physics that was initiated by the discovery of many so-called elementary particles in the cosmic radiation. There is a strong trend from the accelerator physics community to reenter the field of cosmic ray physics, now under the name of astroparticle physics. Secondly, an important branch of cosmic ray physics that has rapidly evolved in conjunction with space exploration concerns the low energy portion of the cosmic ray spectrum. Thirdly, the branch of research that is concerned with the origin, acceleration and propagation of the cosmic radiation represents a great challenge for astrophysics, astronomy and cosmology. Presently very popular fields of research have rapidly evolved, such as high-energy gamma ray and neutrino astronomy. In addition, high-energy neutrino astronomy may soon initiate as a likely spin-off neutrino tomography of the Earth and thus open a unique new branch of geophysical research of the interior of the Earth. Finally, of considerable interest are the biological and medical aspects of the cosmic radiation because of it ionizing character and the inevitable irradiation to which we are exposed. This book is a reference manual for researchers and students of cosmic ray physics and associated fields and phenomena. It is not intended to be a tutorial. However, the book contains an adequate amount of background materials that its content should be useful to a broad community of scientists and professionals. The present book contains chiefly a data collection in compact form that covers the cosmic radiation in the vicinity of the Earth, in the Earth's atmosphere, at sea level and underground. Included are predominantly experimental but also theoretical data. In addition the book contains related data, definitions and important relations. The aim of this book is to offer the reader in a single volume a readily available comprehensive set of data that will save him the need of frequent time consuming literature searches.

Gamma ray astronomy, the branch of high energy astrophysics that studies the sky in energetic γ-ray photons, is destined to play a crucial role in the exploration of nonthermal phenomena in the Universe in their most extreme and violent forms. The great potential of this discipline offers impressive coverage of many “hot topics” of modern astrophysics and cosmology, such as the origin of galactic and extragalactic cosmic rays, particle acceleration and radiation processes under extreme astrophysical conditions, and the search for dark matter. The recent observational results and exciting theoretical predictions provide a strong rationale for a deep study of cosmic radiation with forthcoming satellite-borne and ground-based detectors in the so-called very high energy domain of the electromagnetic spectrum above 1010 eV. This invaluable book presents the motivations and highlights the principal objectives of the field, as well as demonstrates its intrinsic links to other branches of high energy astrophysics. Preference is given to three topical areas: (i) origin of cosmic rays; (ii) physics and astrophysics of relativistic jets; (iii) observational gamma ray cosmology. Also, an essential part of the book is devoted to the discussion of the principal mechanisms of production and absorption of energetic γ-rays in different astrophysical environments, as well as to the description of the detection methods of high energy cosmic γ-radiation. Contents:Status of the FieldGamma Ray Production and Absorption MechanismsGamma Rays and Origin of Galactic Cosmic RaysGamma Ray Visibility of Supernova RemnantsPulsars, Pulsar Winds, PlerionsGamma Rays Expected from MicroquasarsLarge Scale Jets of Radio Galaxies and QuasarsNonthermal Phenomena in Clusters of GalaxiesTeV Blazars and Cosmic Background RadiationHigh Energy Gamma Rays — Carriers of Unique Cosmological Information Readership: Astrophysicists, cosmic ray physicists, cosmologists and high energy physicists. Keywords:Reviews:“The author has been an active player in the pioneering experiments that opened the ‘last electromagnetic window’ at photon energies beyond GeV, or wavelengths smaller than 10–13 cm. This is a timely in-depth review of gamma ray astronomy, a field exploding with new instrumentation: space-borne detectors aiming for astronomy with thousands of sources and ground-based detectors hunting for the origin of the cosmic rays, still enigmatic one century after their discovery.”Francis Halzen University of Wisconsin “‘Very high-energy gamma-ray astronomy’ is now beginning to play a crucial role in understanding the high-energy phenomena in the Universe. Flix Ahranonian clearly describes the implication of this new developing field relating to Cosmic-ray Physics, X-ray and low energy gamma-ray astronomy, Potential Extragalactic sources and Cosmologies and dark matter … His writing covers what is known, what is to be explored in future, and also speculating on some new exciting unknown phenomena. He is one of the pioneers and a leading scientist in this field, and this book is timely and valuable for the students and researchers in this field which developed so quickly in recent years together with the scientists who have interest and wish to understand and research the high-energy phenomena in the Universe.”Emeritus Professor Jun Nishimura The University of Tokyo, and Institute of Space and Astronuatical Science “In the entire text Aharonian attaches importance to analytic descriptions. He outlined, discusses and quotes numerous model calculations as well as an abundance of experimental data. The Bibliography is very extensive. This is a recommendable book.”Physik Journal

This book constitutes the proceedings of the 13th Course of the International School of Cosmic Ray Astrophysics. It focuses on major areas of astrophysics, their relation to cosmic ray physics, and our current understanding of the energetic processes in the Galaxy and the Universe that govern the acceleration and form the features of the cosmic rays that we detect at Earth.The proceedings have been selected for coverage in: ? Index to Scientific & Technical Proceedings (ISTP CDROM version / ISI Proceedings)? CC Proceedings ? Engineering & Physical Sciences

This book is devoted to the astrophysics of cosmic rays, especially the origin of the cosmic rays observed on Earth. The problem of the propagation and acceleration of cosmic rays in the interstellar medium and, in general, in the galaxy is discussed. Topics of gamma- and X-ray astronomy and of high-energy neutrino astronomy related to cosmic rays are also discussed. Summaries of the observational and experimental results are given."

Offers an accessible text and reference (a cosmic-ray manual) for graduate students entering the field and high-energy astrophysicists will find this an accessible cosmic-ray manual Easy to read for the general astronomer, the first part describes the standard model of cosmic rays based on our understanding of modern particle physics. Presents the acceleration scenario in some detail in supernovae explosions as well as in the passage of cosmic rays through the Galaxy. Compares experimental data in the atmosphere as well as underground are compared with theoretical models

On the occasion of the International Conference on Cosmic Rays held in Kyoto in August 1979 five aged members of the cosmic ray fraternity, H. Elliot, V. L. Ginzburg, B. Peters, Y. Sekido, and J. A. Simpson met together as a dinner party devoted to the enjoyment of Japanese cuisine and reminiscences of our younger days. This pleasant occasion called to of our own age as well as some eminent seniors not present at the mind the many friends conference whose recollections would have further enriched and enlivened our evening. By the time the dinner came to an end we had agreed that the compilation of a more extensive collection of personal reminiscences would be an interesting and worthwhile undertaking. Accordingly, the next day we held an editorial meeting to draw up a list of potential authors and two of us, the present editors, started work on the project. In putting the book together our intention has been to try to capture and record through these personal accounts something of the atmosphere, the excitement and the frustrations of research in cosmic rays as experienced at first hand by some of the practi tioners in the field. It has never been our intention that it should comprise a systematic history of the subject. Neither, unfortunately, can it be a fully representative collection since practical limits to the size of the volume alone would preclude that.