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Binary neutron star mergers as the source of the highest energy cosmic rays

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arxiv 2405.12004 v2 pith:KZ4PKCNR submitted 2024-05-20 astro-ph.HE hep-ph

Binary neutron star mergers as the source of the highest energy cosmic rays

classification astro-ph.HE hep-ph
keywords mergersbinarycosmicenergynarrowneutronrangerays
verification ladder T0 review T1 audit T2 compute T3 formal T4 reserved
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We propose that ultrahigh energy cosmic rays are produced in binary neutron star mergers. This scenario can account for the heretofore inexplicable narrow rigidity range of UHECRs, because the jets of BNS mergers are generated by a gravitationally-driven dynamo and thus are nearly identical due to the narrow range of BNS masses. Observed UHECRs with energies well beyond 100 EeV can be explained as $r$-process nuclei, without invoking an exotic source class. Evidence for this mechanism, and its prediction of coincidences between neutrinos above 10 PeV and gravitational waves, are discussed.

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Cited by 6 Pith papers

Reviewed papers in the Pith corpus that reference this work. Sorted by Pith novelty score.

  1. Ultraheavy Ultrahigh-Energy Cosmic Rays

    astro-ph.HE 2024-05 unverdicted novelty 7.0

    Ultraheavy nuclei have longer energy loss lengths at ≲300 EeV than lighter nuclei, allowing them to explain UHECRs above 100 EeV from sources like collapsars and neutron star mergers while predicting distinct shower maxima.

  2. Proton-air interaction properties at $\sqrt{s} \simeq 100$ TeV from shower-depth measurements with the Pierre Auger Observatory and their connection to the Muon Puzzle

    hep-ex 2026-07 conditional novelty 6.0

    Using a universal relation found across hadronic interaction models, Auger's deeper-than-predicted shower maxima imply increased elasticity and hadronic energy fraction in proton–air collisions, needing 2.8–4.6× ampli...

  3. A magnetar formation in binary neutron star merger

    astro-ph.HE 2026-06 unverdicted novelty 6.0

    High-resolution GR neutrino-radiation MHD simulation of 1.35-1.35 Msun BNS merger shows KHI-driven B-field amplification to magnetar levels (~10^50 erg, factor >=316) in 3 ms post-merger.

  4. Ultra-High-Energy Particle Production in Binary Mergers Endowed with Magnetic Fields

    astro-ph.HE 2026-07 conditional novelty 5.0

    Using a magnetized Kerr spacetime, the authors compute that binary merger remnants can yield proton collision energies up to 10^20 eV, proposing them as UHECR sources.

  5. Nuclei in high-energy neutrino sources: A multimessenger study of in-source propagation

    hep-ph 2026-06 unverdicted novelty 4.0

    Monte Carlo simulations of nuclear cascades in NGC 1068 demonstrate that injected nuclear composition imprints on neutrino and gamma-ray spectra, supported by a re-analysis of archival COMPTEL observations.

  6. Study of Flat Spectrum Radio Quasars and BL Lacertae Objects as Sources of Diffusive Ultra High-Energy Cosmic Rays

    astro-ph.HE 2025-11 unverdicted novelty 4.0

    BL Lacs remain consistent with UHECR observations while FSRQs are disfavoured by anisotropy and source density mismatches after propagation modeling.