How are electrons produced in cosmic rays?

Electrons in cosmic rays are produced through two primary mechanisms:

• Original Cosmic Ray Sources: The majority of primary electrons are generated directly within the same cosmic ray sources that produce primary atomic nuclei, such as supernova remnants.1
• Interstellar Collisions: A smaller portion of electrons originates from collisions between primary cosmic ray atomic nuclei and interstellar hydrogen. These collisions produce charged mesons, primarily pions. These pions have very short half-lives and decay into muons, which subsequently decay to produce electrons, positrons, and neutrinos.1

Once produced, these electrons travel along spiral paths within the galactic magnetic field, generating synchrotron radiation that can be detected by radio telescopes.12