Related papers: The highest-energy cosmic rays
High-energy cosmic rays with energies exceeding $10^{17}$ eV are frequently observed by measurements of the fluorescence light induced by air showers. A major contribution to the systematic uncertainties of the absolute energy scale of such…
The energy spectrum of primary cosmic rays with ultra high energies based on the Yakutsk EAS Array data is presented. For the largest events values of S600 and axis coordinates have been obtained using revised lateral distribution function.…
In this paper we review air shower data related to the mass composition of cosmic rays above 10$^{15}$ eV. After explaining the basic relations between air shower observables and the primary mass and energy of cosmic rays, we present…
We will discuss the main relevant aspects of the physics of ultra high energy cosmic rays. After a short recap of the experimental evidences, we will review theoretical models aiming at describing the sources of these extremely energetic…
The current measurements of the cosmic ray energy spectrum at ultra-high energies ($\text{E}>10^{19}$ eV) are characterized by large systematic errors and poor statistics. In addition, the experimental results of the two experiments with…
Although cosmic rays were discovered 90 years ago, we do not know how and where they are accelerated. There is compelling evidence that the highest energy cosmic rays are extra-galactic -- they cannot be contained by our galaxy's magnetic…
Cosmic rays with energies above $10^{18}$ eV are currently of considerable interest in astrophysics and are to be further studied in a number of projects which are either currently under construction or the subject of well-developed…
The field of ultra-high energy cosmic rays made a lot of progresses last years with large area experiments such as the Pierre Auger Observatory, HiRes and the Telescope Array. A suppression of the cosmic ray flux at energies above…
Seven and a half years of continuous monitoring of giant air showers triggered by ultra high-energy cosmic rays have been recently summarized by the AGASA collaboration. The resulting energy spectrum indicates clearly that the cosmic ray…
The runaway breakdown -- extensive atmospheric shower discharge (RB - EAS) excited in thunderstorm atmosphere by high energy cosmic ray particles ($\epsilon_p>10^{17} - 10^{19}$ eV) generate very powerful radio pulse. The RB - EAS theory is…
The latest observations of extensive air showers (EAS) induced by ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECR) appear to indicate, prima facie, a transition to heavy primaries at the highest energies. However, this interpretation, which is based…
Nearly 50 years ago, the first radio signals from cosmic ray air showers were detected. After many successful studies, however, research ceased not even 10 years later. Only a decade ago, the field was revived with the application of…
We give a summary of the theoretical attempts to make sense of the observational data concerning the highest energy cosmic rays, (E > 3x10^{19} eV).
Historically cosmic rays have always been at the intersection of astrophysics with particle physics. This is still and especially true in current days where experimenters routinely observe atmospheric showers from particles whose energies…
In this review we discuss the important progress made in recent years towards understanding the experimental data on cosmic rays with energies $\agt 10^{19}$ eV. We begin with a brief survey of the available data, including a description of…
Ultra high energy gamma rays produce electron--positron pairs in interactions on the geomagnetic field. The pair electrons suffer magnetic bremsstrahlung and the energy of the primary gamma ray is shared by a bunch of lower energy…
We apply statistical inference on the Pierre Auger Open Data to discern for the first time the full mass composition of cosmic rays at different energies. Working with longitudinal electromagnetic profiles of cosmic ray showers, in…
In this work the ultra high energy cosmic ray events recorded by the AGASA experiment are analysed. With detailed simulations of the extensive air showers initiated by photons, the probabilities are determined of the photonic origin of the…
Interpretation of the energy spectrum and arrival distribution of cosmic rays is complicated by lack of knowledge of the nature of the primaries. We review claims for the mass composition above 1017 eV where it can be determined only…
We present the results of a search for cosmic ray point sources at energies above 10^19 eV in the HiRes stereo data set. The analysis is based on a maximum likelihood ratio test using the probability density function for each event rather…