Giant AGN Flares and Cosmic Ray Bursts

Understand

We predict a new class of very intense, short-duration AGN flares capable of accelerating the highest energy cosmic rays, resulting from the tidal disruption of a star or from a disk instability.

• The rate and power of these flares readily explains the observed flux and density statistics of UHECRs.
• The photon bursts produced by the predicted AGN flares are discussed; they may soon be detectable.
• Observations are shown to exclude that continuous jets of powerful Active Galactic Nuclei are the sole source of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays; the stringent requirements for Gamma Ray Bursts to be the source are delineated.