Can high energy cosmic rays be vortons?

A simple model is exhibited in which the remnant density of charged vortons is used to provide candidates for explaining the observed ultra high energy cosmic rays (above 10(20) eV). These vortons would be accelerated in active galaxies and propagated through intergalactic medium with negligible losses of energy. The expected number density of observable events is shown to be consistent with extrapolation of the observations. The spectrum is predicted to be spatially isotropic while its shape is that of an atomic excitation-ionisation, i.e. with a few peaks followed by a continuum; there is also an energy threshold below which no vorton is visible. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.