The Mystery of Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays
Abstract
The origin of cosmic rays with energies higher than 1020 eV remains a mystery. Accelerating particles up to these energies is a challenge even for the most energetic astrophysical objects known. While the isotropy in arrival directions argues for an extra-galactic origin, the photon-pion production off the cosmic background radiation limits the sources of such particles to systems less than 50 Mpc away from us. The combination of large gyroradii, efficient energy losses, and isotropic arrival directions defies most of the proposed astrophysical accelerators as well as the more exotic alternatives. I briefly review theoretical models for the acceleration and propagation of ultra-high-energy cosmic-rays and discuss the potential for future observatories to resolve this cosmic mystery.
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