Related papers: Are there pulsars in the knee ?
The most recent experimental results on the cosmic ray composition and energy spectrum above 1 TeV are reviewed and discussed. All data agree on the presence of the so-called ``knee'' at an energy E(knee) = 3-4 PeV; the knee is seen in all…
The present paper deals with calculations based on a standard model of cosmic ray acceleration in Supernova remnants (SNR) and on the latest astronomical data concerning the variety in Supernovae types, energies as well as the sites of…
Supernova remnants (SNRs) are among the strongest candidates to explain the flux of cosmic rays below the knee around 10^15 eV. Pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe), synchrotron nebulae powered by the spin-down of energetic young pulsars, comprise…
Although supernova remnants remain the main suspects as sources of Galactic cosmic rays up to the knee, the supernova paradigm still has many loose ends. The weakest point in this construction is the possibility that individual supernova…
The existence of the spectral break around $\sim 3 \times 10^{15}$ eV in the cosmic ray spectrum (referred to as the `knee') is one of the biggest questions in cosmic ray astrophysics. At the same time, the origin of cosmic rays above the…
Supernova remnants (SNRs) are widely considered the most likely source of cosmic rays below the knee ($10^{15}$ eV). Studies of GeV and TeV gamma-ray emission in the vicinity of SNRs, in combination with multi-wavelength observations, can…
The search for a theory of the origin of cosmic rays that may be considered as a standard, agreeable model is still ongoing. On one hand, much circumstantial evidence exists of the fact that supernovae in our Galaxy play a crucial role in…
We study arrival directions of 1.4x10^6 extensive air showers (EAS) registered with the EAS--1000 Prototype Array in the energy range 0.1--10 PeV. By applying an iterative algorithm that provides uniform distribution of the data with…
Supernova remnants have long been regarded as sources of the Galactic cosmic rays up to petaelectronvolts, but convincing evidence is still lacking. In this work we explore the common origin of the subtle features of the cosmic ray spectra,…
It is generally regarded that the bulk of cosmic rays originate in the Galaxy and that those below the 'knee' (the rapid steepening in the energy spectrum) at a few PeV come from Galactic supernovae, the particles being accelerated by the…
A brief review is given on the astrophysics of cosmic rays in the PeV primary energy range, i.e. the region of the knee.
Recent progress suggests we are moving towards a quantitative understanding of the whole cosmic ray spectrum, and that many bumps due to different components and processes hide beneath a relatively smooth total flux between knee and ankle.…
Supernova remnants (SNRs) have long been assumed to be the source of cosmic rays (CRs) up to the "knee" of the CR spectrum at 10^15 eV, accelerating particles to relativistic energies in their blast waves by the process of diffusive shock…
Primary energy spectral models are tested in the energy range of 1-200 PeV using standardized extensive air shower responses from BASJE-MAS, Tibet, GAMMA and KASCADE scintillation shower arrays. Results point towards the two-component…
The knee-like structure around 4 PeV is the most striking feature in the cosmic ray energy spectrum, whose origin remains enigmatic. We propose a novel concept of the total logarithmic mass energy spectrum to characterize the knee, taking…
In this paper, a probable interpretation of a remarkable fine structure of all particle spectra between the knee and the ankle, as well as a high content of heavy nuclei around 10^17 eV measured recently in Tunka-133 and KASCADE Grande…
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,…
A "knee" in the cosmic-ray spectrum, characterized by a sudden steepening of the spectral shape at $\sim 4$ PeV, may be interpreted either as a global feature of Galactic cosmic rays or as a local signature. In the former scenario,…
A blind search has been made for cosmic ray sources of neutral hadrons yielding a peak just above the knee, which has resulted in possible evidence for a peak at $5.86\pm 0.75 PeV.$ This search was motivated by a 1999 claim by this author…
An analysis is made of the fine structure in the cosmic ray energy spectrum: new facets of present observations and their interpretation and the next step. It is argued that less than about 10% of the intensity of the helium `peak' at the…