Rigidity-dependent cosmic ray energy spectra in the knee region obtained with the GAMMA experiment
Abstract
On the basis of the extensive air shower (EAS) data obtained by the GAMMA experiment, the energy spectra and elemental composition of the primary cosmic rays are derived in the 103-105TeV energy range. The reconstruction of the primary energy spectra is carried out using an EAS inverse approach in the framework of the SIBYLL2.1 and QGSJET01 interaction models and the hypothesis of power-law primary energy spectra with rigidity-dependent knees. The energy spectra of primary H, He, O-like and Fe-like nuclei obtained with the SIBYLL interaction model agree with corresponding extrapolations of the balloon and satellite data to ∼10 3 TeV energies. The energy spectra obtained from the QGSJET model show a predominantly proton composition in the knee region. The rigidity-dependent knee feature of the primary energy spectra for each interaction model is displayed at the following rigidities: E≃2500±200TV (SIBYLL) and E≃3100-4200TV (QGSJET). All the results presented are derived taking into account the detector response, the reconstruction uncertainties of the EAS parameters, and fluctuations in the EAS development.
- Publication:
-
Astroparticle Physics
- Pub Date:
- October 2007
- DOI:
- 10.1016/j.astropartphys.2007.04.004
- arXiv:
- arXiv:0704.3200
- Bibcode:
- 2007APh....28..169G
- Keywords:
-
- 96.40.Pq;
- 96.40.De;
- 96.40.-z;
- 98.70.Sa;
- Cosmic rays;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 28 pages, 18 figures, accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physics