On the role of plasma effects in the cosmic ray propagation and isotropization in the Galaxy

Cosmic ray (c. r.) propagation in interstellar magnetic fields is often considered in the diffusion approximation, i.e. by the diffusion equation in the coordinate space. Cosmic ray momentum distribution in this case is considered isotropic when the space gradients of c.r density are absent. This approach, with the use of an unfixed effective diffusion coefficientD independent of the energyE enables one to describe all the data available However, neither the diffusion mechanism nor the limits of applicability of the diffusion approximation is clear particularly ifD is independent ofE. Furthermore, the diffusion coefficientD must be expressed through the characteristics of the interstellar medium and possibly through the flux velocity and density of c.r. etc. One of the possible approaches for the analysis of the mechanism and characteristic features of c.r. distribution and isotropization is the account taken of the plasma effects and specifically, the study of c.r. flux instability arising when c.r. are moving in the interstellar plasma. As a result of such instability c.r. may generate waves of different types (magnetohydrodynamic, high-frequency plasma and other waves). Generation of waves and scattering on them result in isotropization of cosmic rays while their propagation under certain conditions turns out similar to that under diffusion.An attempt is made here to systematically analyse the avove mentioned plasma effects and to find out to what extent they are responsible for the behaviour of c.r. in the Galaxy. It turns out that c.r. In any case this is true if this mechanism is regarded as the only c.r. isotropization mechanizm within a wide energy range from 1 to 1000 GeV. Isotropization and spatial diffusion of c.r. up toE100–1000 GeV on the waves from external sources (for example, on the waves from the supernova shells) also proved impossible if the diffusion coefficient is assumed to be independent of c.r. energy. Some new possibilities of c.r. isotropization are also considered.A List of Notations D cosmic ray (c.r.) space diffusion coefficient - degree of c.r. anyisotropy - E,E _kin total and kinetic particle energy - p,p particle momentum and its absolute value - angle between the particle momentum direction and the magnetic field direction (z-axis) - cos - v, particle velocity and its absolute value - c light velocity - f(p),f(E) momentum and energy particle distribution function - N( > E) = N( > p) = f(p) dp/(2)³ = _E f dE c.r. particle density - c.r. spectrum index,N(>E)=KE ^–+1 - n _H neutral particle density - n=n _e=n _i ion and electron density - H niagnetic field - T temperature - thermal velocities of electrons and ions - Boltzmann constant - Alfén velocity - M, m proton and electron masses - e electron charge - wave frequency - _H =eH/Mc, = _H (Mc ²/E) gyrofrequency of a plasma proton and relativistic particle - _H =eH/mc gyrofrequency of an electron - plasma frequency - v _ii,v _ei,v _en,v _in collision frequencies between ions, electrons and ions, electrons and neutrals, ions and neutrals - growth rate of wave amplitude - k,k wave vector and its absolute value - angle between the directions of the vectorsk andH - wave energy density