Binary Coalescences as Sources of Ultrahigh-Energy Cosmic Rays

Autor(es)

Pereira, Jonas P. ; Coimbra-Araujo, Carlos H. ; dos Anjos, Rita C. ; Coelho, Jaziel G.

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Physical Review Letters; v. 132, n. 9, p. 9-pg., 2024-02-27.

Resumo

Binary coalescences are known sources of gravitational waves (GWs) and they encompass combinations of black holes (BHs) and neutron stars (NSs). Here we show that when BHs are embedded in magnetic fields (B's) larger than approximately 1010 G, charged particles colliding around their event horizons can easily have center -of -mass energies in the range of ultrahigh energies (greater than or similar to 1018 eV) and become more likely to escape. Such B -embedding and high-energy particles can take place in BH-NS binaries, or even in BHBH binaries with one of the BHs being charged (with charge -to -mass ratios as small as 10-5, which do not change GW waveforms) and having a residual accretion disk. Ultrahigh center -of -mass energies for particle collisions arise for basically any rotation parameter of the BH when B greater than or similar to 1010 G, meaning that it should be a common aspect in binaries, especially in BH-NS ones given the natural presence of a B onto the BH and charged particles due to the magnetosphere of the NS. We estimate that the number of ultrahigh center -ofmass collisions ranges from a few up to millions before the merger of binary compact systems. Thus, binary coalescences may also be efficient sources of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) and constraints to NS/BH parameters would be possible if UHECRs are detected along with GWs. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 21/01089-1 - Cherenkov Telescope Array: construção e primeiras descobertas
• Beneficiário: Luiz Vitor de Souza Filho
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Projetos Especiais