Effects of self-generated turbulence on Galactic Cosmic Ray propagation and associated diffuse γ-ray emission

Abstract

Recent results obtained by analyzing diffuse γ-ray emission detected by Fermi-LAT show a substantial variation of the CR spectrum as a function of the distance from the Galactic Center. For energies up to tens of GeV, the CR proton density in the outer Galaxy appears to be weakly dependent upon the galactocentric distance while the density in the central region of the Galaxy was found to exceed the value measured in the outer Galaxy. At the same time, Fermi-LAT data suggest a gradual spectral softening while moving outward from the center of the Galaxy to its outskirts. These findings represent a challenge for standard calculations of CR propagation based on assuming a uniform diffusion coefficient within the Galactic volume. Here we present a model of non-linear CR propagation in which transport is due to particle scattering and advection off self-generated turbulence. We will show that for a realistic distribution of CR sources following the spatial distribution of supernova remnants and the space dependence of the magnetic field on galactocentric distance, both the spatial profile of CR density and the spectral softening can easily be accounted for.