We investigate the possibility that charged compact objects could be the accelerators of high energy cosmic rays. In order to do so, we choose to first solve numerically a system of differential equations describing the structure of charged compact objects, including the generalization of the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equation for this class of objects. We assume a polytropic equation of state for the fluid and, for simplicity, a linear relation between charge density and the fluid energy density. We obtain upper limits for the charge such objects can acquire and study the stability of these equilibrium configurations.

The XXVI Encontro Nacional de Física de Partículas e Campos (ENFPC: Brazilian National Meeting on Particles and Fields) took place in São Lourenço, MG, Brazil, in October 2005. I was invited to deliver the summary talk on the area of gravitation and cosmology, in which I took the opportunity to briefly present a historic sketch of the ideas related to relativity, gravitation and cosmology in general, then some admittedly idiosyncratic highlights on current research in the field and an overview of some aspects of the corresponding national situation.