Beyond diffusion: A causality-preserving model for cosmic ray propagation
Phys. Rev. D 111, 123016 – Published 10 June, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/xpvw-vlby
Abstract
We propose a brand-new formalism for the propagation of relativistic cosmic ray (CR) particles. The propagation of CRs has often been described using the diffusion approximation, which has the drawback that the propagation speed of CRs near the source exceeds the speed of light. By applying the analytic solution of the time-dependent distribution function of photons propagating while undergoing scattering, which we recently proposed, we have succeeded in formulating the propagation of relativistic CRs while preserving causality. The obtained formulas give correct expressions both in the diffusion regime and the ballistic regime, as well as the transition between them. They can be applied to the propagation of PeV CRs around their sources (PeVatrons), the propagation of ultrahigh energy CRs, and the description of TeV gamma-ray halos around pulsars.
