Ultra-High Energy γ-Rays from Intergalactic Space
Open Access
- 1 July 1963
- journal article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Progress of Theoretical Physics
- Vol. 30 (1) , 71-83
- https://doi.org/10.1143/ptp.30.71
Abstract
The intensity and the energy spectrum of high energy γ-rays arising from the collisions of cosmic ray protons and thermal photons in the intergalactic space are calculated. The calculation gives the result that the ratio of the frequency of extensive air showers initiated by γ-rays to that of cosmic ray particles is 2 ×10−4 for shower sizes greater than 106 at mountain altitude and about 10−3 at sea level. This calculated value is rather small in this size range, but increases with shower size. For example, it reaches a maximum value, about 5 ×10−3 at mountain altitude and about 10−2 at sea level for shower sizes greater than 107. It is emphasized that our result should be examined by observations of extensive air showers of shower size greater than 107, and also that the observations of γ-ray initiated air showers provide useful means of investigating high energy interactions and cosmology.Keywords
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