Acceleration of ULtra High Energy Cosmic Rays: Cosmic Zevatrons?

Abstract

In this lecture I outline some of the underlying physics issues associated with accelerators plausibly capable of explaining the UHECRs up to ZeV energies. I concentrate on the concentrate on mechanisms and their constraints, but provide a brief background on on observations and the constraints they supply, as well.

20 pages, including 3 figures. To be published in proceedings of the 9th Chalonge School on Astrofundamental Physics, Palermo, Sicily, September 7-18, 2002. Ed: N. Sanchez, Kluwer Academic Publishers