THE NEUTRON AS AN ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATION FOR THE TRANS GZK COSMIC RAYS

Abstract

We consider the possibility that the Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays arriving to Earth might be neutrons instead of protons. We stress that in such case the argument for the GZK cutoff is weaker and that it is conceivable that neutrons would not be affected by it. This scenario would require the neutron to start with an energy larger than the observed one, in order to be able to travel the distances involved, within its proper lifetime. It must then lose most of the extra energy through interaction with the galactic dark matter or some other matter in the intergalactic medium.