The Origin of all Cosmic Rays: A Space-Filling Mechanism

Abstract

There is a need for one mechanism to accelerate cosmic rays universally over the full energy spectrum, isotropically, and space filling. The current view is a theory based upon a series of mechanisms, patched to fit various spectral regions with a mechanism for the origin of the UHCRs still in doubt. We suggest that the reconnection of force-free magnetic fields produced by the twisting of all imbedded magnetic flux by the vorticity motion of all accretion or condensations both within the Galaxy as well as the metagalaxy is the universal mechanism. This leads to the acceleration of all cosmic rays with both total energy and individual energies up to the highest observed of 3×10²⁰ ev and predicting an upper limit of 10²³ ev. There are three primary, and we believe compelling reasons for adopting this different view of the origin of CRs. (1) The energy source is space filling and isotropic, thereby avoiding any anisotropy’s due to single sources, e.g., supernovae remnants and AGN. (2) The galactic and particularly the extragalactic energy source is sufficient to supply the full energy of a universal galactic and extragalactic spectrum of 10⁶⁰ to 10⁶¹ ergs sufficient to avoid the GZK cut-off. (3) Efficient Eparallel acceleration from reconnection of force-free fields is well observed in the laboratory whereas collisionless shock acceleration still eludes laboratory confirmation.