Cluster Accretion Shocks as Possible Acceleration Sites for Ultra High Energy Protons below the Greisen Cutoff

Abstract

Three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of large scale structure in the Universe have shown that accretion shocks form during the gravitational collapse of one-dimensional caustics, and that clusters of galaxies formed at intersections of the caustics are surrounded by these accretion shocks. Estimated speed and curvature radius of the shocks are 1000-3000 \kms and about 5 Mpc, respectively, in the $Ω=1$ CDM universe. Assuming that energetic protons are accelerated by these accretion shocks via the first-order Fermi process and modeling particle transport around the shocks through Bohm diffusion, we suggest that protons can be accelerated up to the {\it Greisen cutoff energy} near $6\times 10^{19}$ eV, provided the mean magnetic field strength in the region around the shocks is at least of order a microgauss. We have also estimated the proton flux at earth from the Virgo cluster. Assuming a few (1-10) \% of the ram pressure of the infalling matter would be transferred to the cosmic-rays, the estimated flux for $ E \sim 10^{19}$eV is consistent with observations, so that such clusters could be plausible sources of the UHE CRs.