Related papers: The mass of cosmic rays above 1017 eV
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…
This paper summarizes the status and the recent measurements from the Pierre Auger Observatory. The energy spectrum is described and its features discussed. We report searches for anisotropy of cosmic ray arrival directions on large scales…
The most energetic particles ever detected exceed $10^{20}$ eV in energy. Their existence represents at the same time a great challenge for particle physics and astrophysics, and a great promise of providing us for a probe of the validity…
We reanalyze archival EAS-MSU data in order to search for events with anomalously low content of muons with energies E_mu>10 GeV in extensive air showers with number of particles N_e>2*10^7. We confirm the first evidence for nonzero flux of…
The determination of the primary cosmic ray mass composition from the characteristics of extensive air showers (EAS), obtained at an observation level in the lower half of the atmosphere, is still an open problem. In this work we propose a…
Our study exploits the Constant Intensity Cut principles applied simultaneously to muonic and electromagnetic detectors of cosmic rays. We use the fact that the ordering of events according to their signal sizes induced in different types…
Cosmic rays have been observed up to energies $10^8$ times larger than those of the best particle accelerators. Studies of astrophysical particles (hadrons, neutrinos and photons) at their highest observed energies have implications for…
The characteristics relating to the lateral and longitudinal development of EAS in the energy region of 10^15-10^19eV have been analyzed in the framework of the QGSJET model and of mass composition of primary cosmic rays. It is found that…
Gamma-ray bursts are produced by the dissipation of the kinetic energy of a highly relativistic fireball, via the formation of a collisionless shock. When this happens, Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays up to 10^20 eV are produced. I show in…
We present a new methodology to discriminate between light and heavy ultra-high energy cosmic-ray primaries on an event-by-event basis using information from the radio detection of extensive air showers at MHz frequencies. Similarly to…
Recent international efforts have brought us closer to unveiling the century old mystery of the origin of cosmic rays. Cosmic ray, gamma ray, and neutrino observatories are reaching the necessary sensitivity to study the highest energy…
A model is proposed for the origin of cosmic rays (CRs) from ~10^14 eV to the highest energies, >10^20 eV. Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are assumed to inject CR protons and ions into the interstellar medium of star-forming galaxies--including…
It is proposed that the highest energy $\sim 10^{20}$eV cosmic ray primaries are protons, decay products of a long-lived progenitor which has propagated from typically $\sim 100$Mpc. Such a scenario can occur in e.g. SU(15) grand…
The origin of the ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECR) with energies above E > 1017eV, is still unknown. The discovery of their sources will reveal the engines of the most energetic astrophysical accelerators in the universe. This is a…
The origin of the highest-energy cosmic rays remains a mystery. The lack of a high energy cutoff in the cosmic ray spectrum together with an apparently isotropic distribution of arrival directions have strongly constrained most models…
High-energy cosmic rays, impinging on the atmosphere of the Earth initiate cascades of secondary particles, the extensive air showers. The electrons and positrons in the air shower emit electromagnetic radiation. This emission is detected…
We introduce neutrino astronomy starting from the observational fact that Nature accelerates protons and photons to energies in excess of 10^{20} and 10^{13} eV, respectively. Although the discovery of cosmic rays dates back a century, we…
Firm evidence for a radio emission counterpart of cosmic ray air showers is presented. By the use of an antenna array set up in coincidence with ground particle detectors, we find a collection of events for which both time and arrival…
We develop a theory to account for the cosmic ray spectrum between 1 GeV and 10^4 GeV following the earlier papers of this series. We use the basic concept that the cosmic ray particles are accelerated in a supernova shock that travels…
The origin of the highest energy cosmic rays is still unknown. At present, the major uncertainties are located at energies above $\sim 10^{19.5}$ eV, the expected beginning of the GZK suppression. This is mainly due to the low statistics…