Cosmic gamma-rays from collapsing cosmic strings

1993
5 pages
Published in:
  • Astropart.Phys. 1 (1993) 239-243

Citations per year

1994199619982000200101234567
Abstract: (Elsevier)
In a recent paper [Astropart. Phys. 1 (1992) 129] we showed that collapsing strings could not generate the highest energy cosmic ray particles if they were protons because of unacceptably large fluxes of cosmic gamma rays produced along with the protons. Here we show that it is conceivable that the “particles” detected above 10 19 eV are, in fact gamma rays — in which case the collapsing string model can be retrieved. The parameters characterizing the spectrum of gamma rays at injection are defined, including the requirement that the gamma ray cascading in the vicinity of the strings must be small.
  • photon: cosmic radiation
  • astrophysics: string
  • showers: air
  • numerical calculations