Speaker
Maxim Lyutikov Lyutikov
(Purdue University/Arcetri Observatory)
Description
Relativistic outflows carrying large scale magnetic fields have large
inductive potential and may accelerate protons to ultra high energies.
We discuss a novel scheme of Ultra-High Energy Cosmic
Ray acceleration due to drifts in
magnetized, cylindrically collimated, sheared jets of powerful active galaxies.
We point out that a
positively charged particle carried by such a flow may be in an unstable
equilibrium, so that a kinetic drift along the velocity shear would lead
to fast, regular energy gain. The key features of the mechanism are (i) the
highest rigidity particles are
accelerated most efficiently implying
the dominance of light nuclei for extragalactic CRs; (ii)
acceleration rate increases with energy and does reach the theoretical
maximum of inverse relativistic gyro-frequency.
Primary author
Maxim Lyutikov Lyutikov
(Purdue University/Arcetri Observatory)
