• Title/Summary/Keyword: cosmic-ray

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Acceleration of Cosmic Ray Electrons at Weak Shocks in Galaxy Clusters

  • Kang, Hyesung;Ryu, Dongsu;Jones, T.W.
    • The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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    • v.42 no.2
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    • pp.69.1-69.1
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    • 2017
  • According to structure formation simulations, weak shocks with typical Mach number, M<3, are expected to form in merging galaxy clusters. The presence of such shocks has been indicated by X-ray and radio observations of many merging clusters. In particular, diffuse radio sources known as radio relics could be explained by synchrotron-emitting electrons accelerated via diffusive shock acceleration (Fermi I) at quasi-perpendicular shocks. Here we also consider possible roles of stochastic acceleration (Fermi II) by compressive MHD turbulence downstream of the shock. Then we explore a puzzling discrepancy that for some radio relics, the shock Mach number inferred from the radio spectral index is substantially larger than that estimated from X-ray observations. This problem could be understood, if shock surfaces associated with radio relics consist of multiple shocks with different strengths. In that case, X-ray observations tend to pick up the part of shocks with lower Mach numbers and higher kinetic energy flux, while radio emissions come preferentially from the part of shocks with higher Mach numbers and higher cosmic ray (CR) production. We also show that the Fermi I reacceleration model with preexisting fossil electrons supplemented by Fermi II acceleration due to postshock turbulence could reproduce observed profiles of radio flux densities and integrated radio spectra of two giant radio relics. This study demonstrates the CR electrons can be accelerated at collisionless shocks in galaxy clusters just like supernova remnant shock in the interstellar medium and interplanetary shocks in the solar wind.

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Preliminary Study on Applicability of Accumulate Personal Neutron Dosimeter for Cosmic-ray Exposure of Aviators (운항승무원의 우주방사선 피폭 평가에 있어 누적형 개인 중성자 선량계의 적용가능성 예비 연구)

  • Kim, Hyeong-Jin;Chang, Byung-Uck;Byun, Jong-In;Song, Myeong Han;Kim, Jung-Ho
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.38 no.1
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    • pp.44-51
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    • 2013
  • ICRP recommended that cosmic ray exposure to the pilot and cabin crew would be considered as an occupational exposure due to their relatively high exposure. Since 2012 with the Act No. 10908 (Natural radiation management), the guideline of cosmic ray exposure to the pilot was established in Korea. The applicability of the solid-state nuclear track detector for personal dose assessment of pilot and cabin crew was evaluated. Dose linearity and angle dependence of dosimeters to the neutron were evaluated by $^{252}Cf$ neutron emitting source. The track density has a good agreement with the dose ($r^2$=0.99) and highly dependent on the degree of an angular of the dosimeter to the neutron source. In addition, the dosimeters (SSNTD) were exposed to cosmic ray in an aircraft during its cruising for more than two months in collaboration with Airline Pilots Association of Korea. Although the correlation between the track density from aircraft cruising altitude and expected neutron dose is low, however RSNS dosimeter could be used for personal neutron dosimeter. For application of RSNS as a personal dosimeter for pilot and cabin crew, additional studies are required.

Climate Influences of Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR): Review and Implications for Research Policy (우주기원의 고에너지 입자가 기후에 미치는 영향: 연구 현황과 정책적 시사점)

  • Kim, Jiyoung;Jang, Kun-Il
    • Atmosphere
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    • v.27 no.4
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    • pp.499-509
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    • 2017
  • Possible links among cosmic ray, cloud, and climate have scientific uncertainties. The reputed topics have been highly controversial during several decades. A link between the atmospheric ionization by galactic cosmic rays (GCR), which is modulated by solar activities, and global cloud cover was firstly proposed in 1997. Some researchers suggested that the GCR can stimulate the formation of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) in the atmosphere, and then the higher CCN concentrations may lead to an increase of cloud cover, resulting in a cooling of the Earth's climate, and vise versa. The CLOUD (Cosmic leaving outdoor droplets) experiment was designed to study the effect of GCR on the formation of atmospheric aerosols and clouds under precisely controlled laboratory conditions. A state-of-the-art chamber experiment has greatly advanced our scientific understanding of the aerosol formation in early stage and its nucleation processes if the GCR effect is considered or not. Many studies on the climate-GCR (or space weather) connection including the CLOUD experiment have been carried out during the several decades. Although it may not be easy to clarify the physical connection, the recent scientific approaches such as the laboratory experiments or modeling studies give some implications that the research definitively contributed to reduce the scientific uncertainties of natural and anthropogenic aerosol radiative forcing as well as to better understand the formation processes of fine particulate matters as an important parameter of air quality forecast.

EUV AND SOFT X-RAY EMISSION IN CLUSTERS OF GALAXIES

  • BOWYER STUART
    • Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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    • v.37 no.5
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    • pp.295-297
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    • 2004
  • Observations with EUVE, ROSAT, and BeepoSAX have shown that some clusters of galaxies produce intense EUV emission. These findings have produced considerable interest; over 100 papers have been published on this topic in the refereed literature. A notable suggestion as to the source of this radiation is that it is a 'warm' (106 K) intracluster medium which, if present, would constitute the major baryonic component of the universe. A more recent variation of this theme is that this material is 'warm-hot' intergalactic material condensing onto clusters. Alternatively, inverse Compton scattering of low energy cosmic rays against cosmic microwave background photons has been proposed as the source of this emission. Various origins of these particles have been posited, including an old (${\~}$Giga year) population of cluster cosmic rays; particles associated with relativistic jets in the cluster; and cascading particles produced by shocks from sub-cluster merging. The observational situation has been quite uncertain with many reports of detections which have been subsequently contradicted by analyses carried out by other groups. Evidence supporting a thermal and a non-thermal origin has been reported. The existing EUV, FUV, and optical data will be briefly reviewed and clarified. Direct observational evidence from a number of different satellites now rules out a thermal origin for this radiation. A new examination of subtle details of the EUV data suggests a new source mechanism: inverse Compton scattered emission from secondary electrons in the cluster. This suggestion will be discussed in the context of the data.

NONTHERMAL RADIO EMISSION FROM SNR IN THE PRE-SEDOV STAGE OF EVOLUTION : WEAK MAGNETIC APPROXIMATION (초기 초신성 잔해의 비열적 전파복사 : 약한 자기장 근사)

  • Choi, Seung-Eon;Jeong, Hyeon-Cheol
    • Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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    • v.10 no.1
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    • pp.15-30
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    • 1995
  • It has been recognized that the morphologies of the SNRs from the radio observation are "barrel shaped". To interpret the mechanism of the radiation and the physical state of the environments, we have analytically calculated the dynamical structure of the interacting region in the case where the ejectum has a steep power-law density profile($\rho{\sim}r^{-n}$) and the ambient medium has a shallow power-law density profile($\rho{\sim}r^{-s}$), assuming that the cosmic rays are isotropically accelerated in the shock wave and the magnetic fields are very weak. The calculated synchrotron radio maps show that the emission from the equator is intense and the emissions from the central and polar regions are less intense. Also the thicknesses of the shell are strongly dependent on s and weakly on n. The azimuthal intensity ratio $\alpha$ increases as the efficiency of the cosmic ray acceleration increases and s decreases. We compared the results with the morphology of the SNR A. D. 1006(type I SNR). It does agree with the case of s = 0, w = 0.3 - 0.5. This value for w is consistent with the results by Eichler(1979). It provides us the evidence of the cosmic ray acceleration in the shock wave.

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