{
  "abstract": "The origin of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) has been a long-standing mystery. A unique feature of UHECRs originating in binary neutron star mergers (BNSMs) is two distinct populations of light elements -- those directly accelerated in the jets, and photo-disintegration products of massive nuclei accelerated in the bulk outflow. We show that Pierre Auger Observatory spectrum and composition data confirm the existence of the predicted two populations at $\\geq \\!7.2σ$ significance, having rigidity ($R\\equiv E/Ze$) cutoffs agreeing with prior estimates. The data also favor 5-10% of UHECRs originating as r-process nuclei, a signature of a BNSM origin. Our results provide strong evidence that UHECRs are produced by merging neutron stars, and show how UHECRs and UHE-neutrinos elucidate otherwise inaccessible aspects of neutron star mergers.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2611.00205",
  "author_total": 2,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Anna M. Suliga"
    },
    {
      "name": "Glennys R. Farrar"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/625vhexhsy3qh.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2611.00205",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "625vhexhsy3qh",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2611.00205",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "LicenseRef-arXiv-nonexclusive-1.0",
  "licence_label": "arXiv licence",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "astro-ph.HE"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "hep-ex"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "hep-ph"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2611.00205",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-11-01",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/625vhexhsy3qh.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-03T12:20:59Z",
      "native_id": "2611.00205",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2611.00205"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "astronomy",
      "origin": "arxiv:astro-ph.HE",
      "subfield": "high-energy-astrophysics"
    },
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:hep-ex",
      "subfield": "high-energy"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Lightest and heaviest nuclei as keys to the origin of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays",
  "title_text": "Lightest and heaviest nuclei as keys to the origin of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-05T15:20:18Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/625vhexhsy3qh",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}