2010/11/30 by V. N. Zirakashvili, F. Aharonian, F. A. Aharonian
Physics and Astronomy · #Acceleration #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #Atomic physics #Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena #Electron #Neutrino Physics Research #Nuclear physics #Particle acceleration #Physics #Positron #Quantum mechanics #Radioactive decay #Supernova #Supernova remnant #astro-ph.GA
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevd.84.083010
6 pages, 1 figure, revised version accepted to Phys.Rev. D
arxiv created 2011/10/07 · openalex publication_date 2011/10/25 · arxiv updated 2013/05/29 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We argue that the decays of radioactive nuclei related to 44Ti and 56Ni ejected during supernova explosions can provide a vast pool of mildly relativistic positrons and electrons which are further accelerated to ultrarelativistic energies by reverse and forward shocks. This interesting link between two independent processes---the radioactivity and the particle acceleration---can be a clue for solution of the well known theoretical problem of electron injection in supernova remnants. In the case of the brightest radio source Cas A, we demonstrate that the radioactivity can supply adequate number of energetic electrons and positrons for interpretation of observational data provided that they are stochastically preaccelerated in the upstream regions of the forward and reverse shocks.