Cosmic-Ray Transport and Acceleration

Abstract

AbstractWe review the transport and acceleration of cosmic rays concentrating on the origin of galactic cosmic rays. Quasi-linear theory for the acceleration rates and propagation parameters of charged test particles combined with the plasma wave viewpoint of modeling weak cosmic electromagnetic turbulence provides a qualitatively and quantitatively correct description of key observations. Incorporating finite frequency effects, dispersion, and damping of the plasma waves are essential in overcoming classical discrepancies with observations as the Kfit - Kql discrepancy of solar particle events. We show that the diffusion-convection transport equation in its general form contains spatial convection and diffusion terms as well as momentum convection and diffusion terms. In particular, the latter momentum diffusion term plays a decisive role in the acceleration of cosmic rays at super-Alfvénic supernova shock fronts, and in the acceleration of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays by distributed acceleration in our own galaxy.Subject headings: acceleration of particles — convection — cosmic rays — diffusion — shock waves