Abstract
The critical interactions for energy loss and photodisintegration of ultra-high energy cosmic-ray (UHCR) nuclei occur with photons of the infrared background radiation (IBR). I present here the results of a new estimation of the photodisintegration and propagation of (UHCR) nuclei in intergalactic space. I have reexamined this problem making use of a new determination of the IBR based on empirical data, primarily from IRAS galaxies, and also collateral information from TeV γ-ray observations of two nearby BL Lac objects. The results of this new calculation indicate that a 200 EeV nucleus which started out as Fe can have propagated ∼100 Mpc though the IBR. I argue that it is possible that the highest energy cosmic rays observed may be nuclei rather than protons.
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