Origin of Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays in Binary Neutron Star Mergers

by Glennys R. Farrar (New York University, USA)

Monday 15 Jun 2026, 10:00 → 11:00 Europe/Prague

Abstract: 

I will briefly review the observations of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs), emphasizing which aspects are robust and which remain uncertain. A highly robust feature of the UHECR observations is explained for the first time, by the hypothesis that UHECRs are mainly or entirely produced in Binary Neutron Star (BNS) mergers.  The well-defined initial conditions of a BNS merger yield a simple, no-free-parameter prediction of the cutoff energy for different nuclei, which agrees well with observations.  Fits to the data under the BNS merger hypothesis suggest that the highest energy Auger events originated as r-process elements.  A unique, testable prediction is that neutrinos above a PeV are preceded by a co-directional gravitational wave arriving about a day earlier.

 

 

The seminar will be held in the Dvořák hall, FZU, Pod Vodárenskou věží 1, Prague.

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/wEf7PsiLimSXMZhE9

 

The seminar will be also available via ZOOM video conference system:

Meeting ID: 674 9629 6646
Passcode: 575511

or join meeting via direct ZOOM link

 

event.ics

invitation.pdf