Issue |
A&A
Volume 417, Number 3, April III 2004
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | 807 - 817 | |
Section | Astrophysical processes | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20040018 | |
Published online | 26 March 2004 |
Cosmic ray acceleration by spiral shocks in the galactic wind
1
Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, 69029, Heidelberg, Postfach 103980, Germany e-mail: Heinrich.Voelk@mpi-hd.mpg.de
2
Institute for Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radiowave Propagation, 142190, Troitsk, Moscow Region, Russia
Corresponding author: V. N. Zirakashvili, Zirak@izmiran.rssi.ru
Received:
17
March
2003
Accepted:
15
January
2004
Cosmic ray acceleration by shocks related with Slipping Interaction
Regions (SIRs) in the Galactic Wind is considered. SIRs are similar to Solar Wind
Corotating Interaction Regions. The spiral structure of our
Galaxy results in a strong nonuniformity of the Galactic Wind flow and in
SIR formation at distances of 50 to 100 kpc. SIRs are not corotating with
the gas and magnetic field because the angular velocity of the spiral
pattern differs from that of the Galactic rotation. It is shown that the
collective reacceleration of the cosmic ray particles with
charge in the resulting
shock ensemble can explain the observable cosmic ray spectrum beyond the
“knee” up to energies of the order of
eV.
For the reaccelerated particles the Galactic Wind
termination shock acts as a reflecting boundary.
Key words: ISM: cosmic rays / acceleration of particules
© ESO, 2004
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