Energy spectra of cosmic rays in the knee region

✍ Scribed by H. Ulrich; T. Antonia; W.D. Apel; F. Badea; K. Bekk; A. Bercuci; H. Blümer; H. Bozdog; I.M. Brancus; C. Büttner; A. Chilingarian; K. Daumiller; P. Doll; J. Engler; F. Feßler; H.J. Gils; R. Glasstetter; R. Haeusler; A. Haungs; D. Heck; J.R. Hörandel; A. Iwan; K.-H. Kampert; H.O. Klages; G. Maier; H.J. Mathes; H.J. Mayer; J. Milke; M. Müller; R. Obenland; J. Oehlschläger; S. Ostapchenko; M. Petcu; H. Rebel; M. Risse; M. Roth; G. Schatz; H. Schieler; J. Scholz; T. Thouw; J.H. Weber; A. Weindl; J. Wentz; J. Wochele; J. Zabierowski

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 954 KB
• Volume: 122
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0920-5632
• DOI: 10.1016/s0920-5632(03)80383-3

✦ Synopsis

The key observables of the KASCADE field array are the electron and muon number of extensive air showers.

Using the size spectra of these measured quantities and their correlations with energy and primary mass it is possible to reconstruct the energy spectra of individual mass groups. The analysis relies on the application of unfolding methods. The resulting spectra of the light components show a knee-like feature. The positions of the individual knees suggest a dependence on the primary charge even if the statistical and systematical significance has to be improved.