Hydromagnetic Waves and the Acceleration of Cosmic Rays

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Abstract
The large amounts of energy necessary for the acceleration of cosmic rays throughout the galaxy introduces a serious transport problem. The hydrodynamic and hydromagnetic equations are investigated from the viewpoint of energy propagation. It is shown that, with the galactic model of Fermi and Chandrasekhar, the observed motions of the interstellar gas reduce to hydromagnetic waves, which are, as it turns out, the most effective means of energy transport. A consideration of the interaction of charged particles with hydromagnetic waves shows that it is the fluid velocity, and not the wave velocity, that is responsible for the acceleration of cosmic rays by Fermi's mechanism.

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