Related papers: The mass composition of cosmic rays above 10^17 eV
The possibility of estimating the mass composition of primary cosmic rays above the knee of its energy spectrum through the study of high energy gamma rays, muons and neutrinos produced in the interactions of cosmic rays with the solar…
The search for the origin of cosmic rays is a quest of almost a hundred years. A recent theoretical proposal gives quantitative predictions, which can be tested with data. Specifically, it has been suggested, that all cosmic rays can be…
We present a new parametrization of the cosmic-ray flux and its mass composition over an energy range from 10 GeV to $10^{11}$ GeV. Our approach is data-driven and relies on theoretical assumptions as little as possible. We combine…
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…
Considerations of the collision losses for protons traversing the 2.7 K black body microwave radiation field have led to the conclusion that the highest energy cosmic rays, those observed at $\geq 10^{20}$ eV, must come from sources within…
The topological defect scenario of origin of the observed highest energy cosmic rays is reviewed. Under a variety of circumstances, topological defects formed in the early Universe can be sources of very massive particles in the Universe…
We describe a new approach to establishing the mass composition at high energies. Based on measuring both the vertical and inclined shower rates, it has the potential to distinguish heavy nuclei from light nuclei. We apply the method to…
The existence of cosmic ray particles up to the ultra-high energy limit (> 10^20 eV) is now beyond any doubt. The detection of cosmic particles with such energies imposes a challenge for the comprehension of their sources and nature. On one…
We investigate the injection spectrum of ultra-high-energy (>10^{15} eV) cosmic rays under the hypotheses that (1) these cosmic rays are protons and (2) the sources of these cosmic rays are extra-galactic and are homogeneously distributed…
The data collected by ATIC, PPB-BETS, FERMI-LAT and HESS all indicate that there is an electron/positron excess in the cosmic ray energy spectrum above $\sim$ 100 GeV, although different instrumental teams do not agree on the detailed…
The lateral distribution of muons with ~1.0x\sec(\theta) GeV in extensive air showers within ~10^{17}-10^{19} eV energy region obtained during different observational periods from November 1987 to June 2013 has been analyzed. Experimental…
Cosmic rays around the knee are generally believed to be of galactic origin. Observations on their energy spectrum and chemical composition are important for understanding the acceleration and propagation of these cosmic rays. In addition,…
Using the concept developed in earlier papers, that the cosmic rays originate in three different main sites, a) the normal supernova explosions into the interstellar medium, b) the supernova explosions into a stellar wind, and c) powerful…
The problem of the origin of Cosmic Rays is now over a century old and while there has been substantial progress, especially in the last decade, there are still open questions. The question of "origin" is open to at least three possible…
In this paper we review the hypothesis that a considerable part of the cosmic ray flux observed above about $10^{19}\eV$ may be produced by decaying or annihilating topological defects left over from phase transitions in the early universe…
Recent measurements of cosmic ray electron energy spectra suggest that above 10 GeV there may be deviations from a single power law spectrum. There are hints (ATIC) for a bump occurring between 100 GeV and 1TeV, meaning that there might be…
We review the basic ideas on the origin of cosmic rays with energy in excess of $\sim 10^{19}$ eV, in the light of the most recent observational findings. The limited statistics of events detected by the two largest experiments currently…
Although cosmic rays were discovered over 100 years ago their origin remains uncertain. They have an energy spectrum that extends from 1 GeV to beyond 1020 eV, where the rate is less than 1 particle per km2 per century. Shortly after the…
We consider a cosmic ray spectrum that is a power law in momentum down to a cutoff and derive a lower cutoff corresponding to $E_{kin} \sim (30-60)$ MeV from the observed ionization rates in nearby diffuse clouds. While the real spectra of…
An overview is given on the present status of the understanding of the origin of galactic cosmic rays. Recent measurements of charged cosmic rays and photons are reviewed. Their impact on the contemporary knowledge about the sources and…