Abstract The advantage of looking at radio sources is that electromagnetic radiation from energetic particles travels in straight lines, so that we immediately know . The disadvantage is that the synchrotron radiation comes only from electrons (or e+ and e−), because (for given particle energy) the synchrotron radiation from protons or heavier nuclei is down by a factor (moe/mo)4. So the radio observations tell us . We have the converse of the observations described yesterday, which told us in some detail about the composition of cosmic rays about whose origin we know almost nothing. Many theoretical acceleration mechanisms lead to power law energy distributions with the same exponent for electrons, protons etc., but the proton:electron ratio depends critically on the injection conditions, in ways which are not easy to understand. Therefore, in this talk, I shall spend most time on the energy spectrum of newly accelerated particles, and then look at the few clues that observation offers on the p:e ratio and the acceleration efficiency in radio sources.
Energetic particles in radio sources
Advances in Space Research ; 4 , 2-3 ; 337-343
01.01.1984
7 pages
Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
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