The energy spectrum of cosmic rays between 10 16 eV and 10 18 eV, derived from measurements of the shower size (total number of charged particles) and the total muon number of extensive air showers by the KASCADE-Grande experiment, is described. The resulting all-particle energy spectrum exhibits strong hints for a hardening of the spectrum at approximately 2 · 10 16 eV and a significant steepening at ≈8 · 10 16 eV. These observations challenge the view that the spectrum is a single power law between knee and ankle. Possible scenarios generating such features are discussed in terms of astrophysical processes that may explain the transition region from galactic to extragalactic origin of cosmic rays.© 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The spectrum of high-energy cosmic rays measured with KASCADE-Grande
BERTAINA, Mario Edoardo;CANTONI, Elena Carla;CHIAVASSA, Andrea;DI PIERRO, Federico;NAVARRA, Gianni Maria;
2012-01-01
Abstract
The energy spectrum of cosmic rays between 10 16 eV and 10 18 eV, derived from measurements of the shower size (total number of charged particles) and the total muon number of extensive air showers by the KASCADE-Grande experiment, is described. The resulting all-particle energy spectrum exhibits strong hints for a hardening of the spectrum at approximately 2 · 10 16 eV and a significant steepening at ≈8 · 10 16 eV. These observations challenge the view that the spectrum is a single power law between knee and ankle. Possible scenarios generating such features are discussed in terms of astrophysical processes that may explain the transition region from galactic to extragalactic origin of cosmic rays.© 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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