COSMOLOGICAL GAMMA RAY BURSTS AND THE HIGHEST ENERGY COSMIC RAYS

Abstract

We discuss a scenario in which the highest energy cosmic rays (CR's) and cosmological \(\gamma\)-ray bursts (GRB's) have a common origin. This scenario is consistent with the observed CR flux above \(10^{20}\text{eV}\), provided that each burst produces similar energies in \(\gamma\)-rays and in CR's above \(10^{20}\text{eV}\). Protons may be accelerated by Fermi's mechanism to energies \(\sim10^{20}\text{eV}\) in a dissipative, ultra-relativistic wind, with luminosity and Lorentz factor high enough to produce a GRB. For a homogeneous GRB distribution, this scenario predicts an isotropic, time-independent CR flux.