Title:	Cosmic ray ionization of the interstellar medium
Authors:	Nath, Biman B. Biermann, P.L.
Keywords:	atmospheric ionization cosmic rays interstellar matter molecular clouds plasma heating radiation spectra abundance particle diffusion spectrum analysis
Issue Date:	Mar-1994
Publisher:	Royal Astronomical Society
Citation:	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 1994, Vol.267, p447
Abstract:	We consider a cosmic ray spectrum that is a power law in momentum down to a cut-off, and derive a lower cut-off corresponding to Ekin approximately (30-60) MeV from the observed ionization rates in nearby diffuse clouds. While the real spectra of cosmic rays may not be so simple, we argue that one expects a substantial change in the spectra of such energies and that, at a first approximation, a power-law spectrum with a lower cut-off is appropriate. Such a description of the cosmic rays in the interstellar medium is not only theoretically more attractive than the spectra used in the literature, but is also supported by recent observations.
Description:	Restricted Access. An open-access version is available at arXiv.org (one of the alternative locations)
URI:	http://hdl.handle.net/2289/4441
ISSN:	0035-8711 1365-2966 (Online)
Alternative Location:	http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1994MNRAS.267..447N http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9311048
Copyright:	1994 Royal Astronomical Society
Appears in Collections:	Research Papers (A&A)

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