Astronomy of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays

Abstract

Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) is the observed effect of superhigh energy physics in the modern Universe, which naturally puts together particle physics and cosmology in the analysis of their possible origin and effects. Even for known particles and interactions UHECR correspond to the energy range at which their properties were not studied experimentally. Particle theory predicts a wide variety of new phenomena in this energy range. One should take into account the possibility of these phenomena in the analysis of the mechanisms of UHECR origin, propagation and detection. Moreover, such phenomena are unavoidable in the modern Big Bang cosmology, based on inflationary models with baryosynthesis and (multicomponent?) nonharyonic dark matter. The physics of inflation and baryosynthesis, as well as dark matter/energy content implies new particles, fields and mechanisms, predicted in the hidden sector of particle theory. Such particles, fields and mechanisms may play an important role in the problem of UHECR. It makes new physics a necessary component of the analysis of UHECR data.