The paper investigates the overall and detailed features of cosmic ray (CR) spectra in the knee region using the scenario of nuclei-photon interactions around the acceleration sources. Young supernova remnants can be the physical realities of such kind of CR acceleration sites. The results show that the model can well explain the following problems simultaneously with one set of source parameters: the knee of CR spectra and the sharpness of the knee, the detailed irregular structures of CR spectra, the so-called "component B" of Galactic CRs, and the electron/positron excesses reported by recent observations. The coherent explanation serves as evidence that at least a portion of CRs might be accelerated at the sources similar to young supernova remnants, and one set of source parameters indicates that this portion mainly comes from standard sources or from a single source.
An update of the status of the knee in the cosmic ray energy spectrum at 3-4 PeV is presented. We argue that the evidence in favour of the presence of a 'single source' is even stronger than before.
In a comprehensive model of Cosmic Rays (CRs) proposed a decade ago, the energies of the spectral "knees" of the various CR species were predicted to be proportional to mass, rather than charge. The model also predicts the knees to occur at an energy of two to four million times the particle's rest mass. Recent data allow one to verify this prediction, particularly for Fe and lighter-nuclei CRs. But the most stringent test involves the putative knee in the CR electron spectrum, since the mass ratio of electrons to protons (and nuclei) is so very different from their charge ratio(s). Very recen…
The diffuse $γ$-ray emission was measured up to $957$ TeV by the Tibet-AS$γ$ experiment recently. Assuming that it is produced by the hadronic interaction between cosmic ray nuclei and the interstellar medium, it requires that the cosmic ray nuclei should be accelerated well beyond PeV energies. Measurements of the cosmic ray spectra for different species show diverse results at present. The Tibet experiments showed that the spectrum of proton plus helium has an early knee below PeV. If this is correct, the diffuse $γ$-ray emission would suggest an additional component of Galactic cosmic rays …
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, such as the knee of cosmic ray spectra and the excesses of electron/positron fluxes recently observed by ATIC, H.E.S.S., Fermi-LAT and PAMELA. Numerical calculation shows that those features of cosmic ray spectra can be well reproduced in a scenario with e$^+$e$^-$ pair production by interactions between high energy cosmic rays and background photons in an …
We analyze the possibility that the cosmic ray knee appears at an energy threshold where the proton-dark matter cross section becomes large due to new TeV physics. It has been shown that such interactions could break the proton and produce a diffuse gamma ray flux consistent with MILAGRO observations. We argue that this hypothesis implies knees that scale with the atomic mass for the different nuclei, as KASKADE data seem to indicate. We find that to explain the change in the spectral index in the flux from E^{-2.7} to E^{-3.1} the cross section must grow like E^{0.4+β} above the knee, where β…
More than fifty years after the discovery of the knee in the cosmic ray spectra, its physical origin remains a mystery. This is partly due to the ambiguity of the energy spectrum of individual composition. Recently, direct measurements from several balloon/satellite-borne detectors found significant spectral hardenings of cosmic ray nuclei at a few hundred GV rigidities. A joint modeling of the direct and indirect measurements of the cosmic ray spectra may help to understand the experimental systematics and probably the physics of the knee. In this work, we update the phenomenological "poly-go…
Oblique Shocks at Supernova Remnants in Massive Star Clusters: A Model for the Cosmic-Ray Knee Observed by LHAASO
Universidade Estadual de Londrina (UEL)（隆德里纳州立大学）；INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri（意大利国家天体物理研究所阿切特里天文台）；Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR)（巴拉那联邦大学）；Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (UFES)（圣埃斯皮里图联邦大学）；Universidade Tecnológica do Paraná (UTFPR)（巴拉那技术大学）；Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana (UNILA)（拉丁美洲一体化联邦大学）
The cosmic ray flux measured by the Telescope Array Low Energy Extension (TALE) exhibits three spectral features: the knee, the dip in the $10^{16}$ eV decade, and the second knee. Here the spectrum has been measured for the first time using fluorescence telescopes, which provide a calorimetric, model-independent result. The spectrum appears to be a rigidity-dependent cutoff sequence, where the knee is made by the hydrogen and helium portions of the composition, the dip comes from the reduction in composition from helium to metals, the rise to the second knee occurs due to intermediate range n…
The knee phenomenon of the cosmic ray spectrum, which plays an important role in studying the acceleration mechanism of cosmic rays, is still an unsolved mystery. We try to reconcile the knee spectra measured by ARGO-YBJ and Tibet-III. A simple broken power-law model fails to explain the experimental data. Therefore a modified broken power-law model with non-linear acceleration effects is adopted, which can describe the sharp knee structure. This model predicts that heavy elements dominate at the knee.
Primary energy spectrum of cosmic rays exhibits a knee at about $3$ PeV where a change in the spectral index occurs. Despite many efforts the origin of such a feature of the spectrum is not satisfactorily solved yet. Here it is proposed that the steepening of the spectrum beyond the knee may be a consequence of mass distribution of progenitor of cosmic ray source. The proposed speculative model can account all the major observed features about cosmic rays without invoking any fine tuning to match flux or spectra at any energy point. The prediction of the proposed model regarding primary compos…
The DArk Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE), a space-based high precision cosmic ray detector, has just reported the new measurement of the total electron plus positron energy spectrum up to 4.6 TeV. A notable feature in the spectrum is the spectral break at $\sim 0.9$ TeV, with the spectral index softening from $-3.1$ to $-3.9$. Such a feature is very similar to the knee at the cosmic nuclei energy spectrum. In this work we propose that the knee-like feature can be explained naturally by assuming that the electrons are accelerated at the supernova remnants (SNRs) and released when the SNRs die …
Experimental data obtained in cosmic ray investigations at energies above the knee are discussed. All features observed at these energies starting from the knee, changes of mass composition and concluding with various types of unusual events are analysed in the framework of the new hadron interaction model producing blobs of quark gluon matter. Consequences for LHC experiments are considered.
All information about primary cosmic rays above the knee has been obtained from results of EAS investigations. At that, two alternative approaches exist: cosmophysical and nuclear physical. In the frame of the first one, all changes in measured EAS characteristics are explained by the changes in energy spectrum and mass composition of primary cosmic rays. In this paper, the second approach is considered, in frame of which corresponding changes in EAS parameters are explained by changes of interaction model above the knee. Some experimental possibilities of proof of the correctness of the nucle…
Multimessenger Concordance for the Cygnus Region as the Source of the Cosmic-Ray Knee
Gran Sasso Science Institute（格兰萨索科学研究所）；INFN, Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso（意大利国家核物理研究所，格兰萨索国家实验室）；The Pennsylvania State University（宾夕法尼亚州立大学）；Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics（京都大学汤川理论物理研究所）；University of L’Aquila（拉奎拉大学）；INAF Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri（意大利国家天体物理研究所阿切特里天文台）；Shanghai Jiao Tong University（上海交通大学）
In this work we examine with the help of Monte Carlo simulation whether a consistent primary energy spectrum of cosmic rays emerges from both the experimentally observed total charged particles and muon size spectra of cosmic ray extensive air showers considering primary composition may or may not change beyond the knee of the energy spectrum. It is found that EAS-TOP observations consistently infer a knee in the primary energy spectrum provided the primary is pure unchanging iron whereas no consistent primary spectrum emerges from simultaneous use of the KASCADE observed total charged particl…
Super-knee cosmic rays from interacting supernovae
Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University（东北大学前沿跨学科研究院）；Astronomical Institute, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University（东北大学理学研究科天文研究所）
It has recently been suggested that neutron stars inside the shells of young supernova remnants (SNR) are the sources of PeV cosmic rays and that the interaction of the particles with the radiation field in the SNR causes electron pair production, which has relevance to recent observations of 'high' positron fluxes. Furthermore, the character of the interaction is such that the well-known knee in the cosmic ray energy spectrum can be explained. Our examination of the mechanism leads us to believe that the required parameters of SN and pulses are so uncommon that the knee and positron fraction …
The nature of the knee in the all-particle spectrum of cosmic rays remains subject of much investigation, especially in the aftermath of recent measurements claiming the detection of a knee-like feature in the spectrum of the light component of cosmic rays at energy $\sim$700 TeV, at odds with the standard picture in which the knee in the all-particle spectrum is dominated by light cosmic rays. Here we investigate the implications of this and other scenarios in terms of the measured flux of atmospheric neutrinos. In particular we discuss the possibility that the spectrum of atmospheric neutrin…
Data from the NUCLEON space observatory give a strong indication of the existence of a new universal cosmic ray "knee", which is observed in all groups of nuclei, including heavy nuclei, near a magnetic rigidity of about 10\,TV. Universality means the same position of the knee in the magnetic rigidity scale for all groups of nuclei. The knee is observed by both methods of measurement of particles energy implemented in the NUCLEON observatory---the calorimetric method and the kinematic method KLEM. This new cosmic ray "knee" is probably connected with the limit of acceleration of cosmic rays by…
We present preliminary results obtained by a novel difference method for the study of the nature of the knee in the energy spectrum of the primary cosmic radiation. We have applied this method to data from the GAMMA experiment in Armenia. The analysis provides evidence for the possible existence of a nearby source of primary cosmic rays in the Southern hemisphere.
Nuclei, if lifted into the radiation zone of a weak axisymmetric pulsar, are accelerated to quasi-monoenergetic spectrum, with more than half of the nuclear luminosity emitted nearly monoenergetically, at the energy E approximately = 4Ze(L/c)^(1/2), where L is the spin-down power. With a number of (not obviously wrong) assumptions, this turns Fermi (-like) weak pulsars into prominent accelerators at energies near the cosmic ray knee. The main uncertainty is purely theoretical: one needs to understand if nuclei are major positive charge carries in some weak pulsar magnetospheres.
Joint constraint on the propagation origin of the cosmic-ray spectral knee from energy spectrum and anisotropy observations
State Key Laboratory of Particle Astrophyics, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院高能物理研究所粒子天体物理国家重点实验室）；School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院大学物理科学学院）；School of Physical Science and Technology, Southwest Jiaotong University（西南交通大学物理科学与技术学院）；TIANFU Cosmic Ray Research Center（天府宇宙线研究中心）
Spectra of Cosmic Rays (CRs), particularly their features, may hold essential information about astroparticle and fundamental physics. Realizing that both $4$ PeV CR knee and electron's TeV break have nearly identical Lorentz factor, i.e. $γ\sim 10^6$, we propose that both CR nuclei and electron experience a threshold interaction with unknown light particle $\rm X$, widespread in the diffusive halo. The interaction occurs only when the Lorentz factor of CRs is larger than $10^6$. Via this process, the energy spectrum of each component has deformation above the threshold Lorentz factor, so both…
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 ambient matter and radiation has been explored. It is found that the theoretical fluxes of TeV gamma rays, muons and neutrinos from a region around $15^{o}$ of the Sun are sensitive to mass composition of cosmic rays in the PeV energy range. The experimental prospects for detection of such TeV gamma rays/neutrinos by future experiments are discussed.
The cosmic-ray (CR) knee and the compositions contain abundant information for probing the CR's origin, acceleration and propagation mechanisms, as well as the frontier of the fundamental physics. Realizing that major proposals toward the knee's shape can be divided into two categories: the rigidity-dependent (also Z-dependent) knee and the mass-dependent (also A-dependent) knee, where the former one relates to the acceleration or the propagation mechanisms, and the other one is often associated with the new physics, it is essential to precisely measure the individual compositions. Benefit fro…
The main purpose of this work is to find the causes of the break of the cosmic ray spectrum at an energy of 3 PeV, which is called the knee. The solution of the problem is associated with the determination of the nuclear composition of cosmic rays in the knee area. The conclusions of this work are based on the analysis of the characteristics of the EAS cores obtained using X-ray emulsion chambers. According to these data, a number of anomalous effects are observed in the knee region, such as scaling violation in the spectra of secondary hadrons, an excess of muons in EAS with gamma families an…
The energy spectra for five elemental groups (p, He, C, Si, Fe) of cosmic rays, are simulated. Calculations are based on an analysis of superposition of few cosmic ray sources (Supernovae of different types) and principles of diffusive shock acceleration. Results of the analysis in the knee region show that summarizing energy spectra for elemental mass groups of cosmic rays can have significant oscillations of spectral index $γ$. Moreover, a kink (increasing $γ$) in Fe spectrum at energy $2\cdot 10^{15}$ eV, is discovered. In order to distinguish from the knee (decreasing $γ$) the kink can be …
The detection of gravitational waves and electromagnetic counterparts from a binary neutron star (BNS) merger confirmed that it is accompanied by the launch of fast merger ejecta. Analogous to supernova remnants, forward shocks formed by the interaction of the ejecta with interstellar material will produce high-energy cosmic rays. We investigate the possibility that Galactic neutron star merger remnants (NSMRs) significantly contribute to the observed cosmic rays in the energy range between the knee and the ankle. Using typical parameters obtained by modeling of GW170817, we find that NSMRs ca…
X-ray Binaries: a potential dominant contributor to the cosmic ray spectral knee structure
Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院高能物理研究所）；University of Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院大学）；National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院国家天文台）；Southwest Jiaotong University（西南交通大学）；Tangshan University（唐山学院）；TIANFU Cosmic Ray Research Center（天府宇宙线研究中心）
The origin of the prominent 'knee' in the cosmic ray energy spectrum at an energy of several PeV is still uncertain. A recent mechanism has shown promise, however; this involves particles from a very young pulsar interacting with the radiation field from a very young supernova remnant. The ensuing nuclear reaction of the particles with the photons by way of e+e- production then causes the characteristic knee. In an earlier paper we argued that the mechanism would imply only one source of a very rare type - if it were to explain the spectral shape. Here we examine the mechanism in more detail a…
This article presents a description of a cosmic rays diffusive propagationmodel of a close point-like flash lamp like source and an approximation ofexperimentally observed spectral irregularity with this model. We show thatthis spectral irregularity can be explained using the presented model andprovide the most probable characteristics of such a source as well as severalobserved and identified sources which can be candidates for this role.
From the data on Cherenkov light from EASs collected over the period of more than 15 years, the spectrum of cosmic rays was obtained in the energy range 1.0E15-1.0E18 eV. This spectrum has two features: at ~3.0E15 eV (first knee) and at ~1.0E17 eV (second knee). The first knee is characterized by the indexes γ_1=2.7+/-0.03 and γ_2 = 3.12+/-0.03 and the second knee - by γ_1 = 2.92+/-0.03 and γ_2=3.24+/-0.04. In the second case the difference amounts to Δγ_23=0.32{\pm}0.03{\pm}0.05 which is less than the case of the first knee Δγ_12=0.42+/-0.03+/-0.05 (here dual errors represent statistics and s…
The origin of the knee in cosmic ray spectrum remains to be an unsolved fundamental problem. There are various kinds of models which predict different break positions and the compositions of the knee. In this work, we suggest to use diffuse $γ$-rays and neutrinos as probes to test these models. Based on several typical types of the composition models, the diffuse $γ$-ray and neutrino spectra are calculated, which show distinctive cutoff behaviours at energies from tens of TeV to multi-PeV. The expected flux will be observable by the newly upgraded Tibet-AS$γ$+MD (muon detector) experiment as w…
A Multi-messenger Search for a Nearby Microquasar Contributor to the Cosmic Ray Knee
School of Physical Science and Technology, Southwest Jiaotong University（西南交通大学物理科学与技术学院）；State Key Laboratory of Particle Astrophysics, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院高能物理研究所粒子天体物理国家重点实验室）；University of Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院大学）；TIANFU Cosmic Ray Research Center（天府宇宙线研究中心）
This paper briefly summarizes the status of the cosmic ray observations by EAS (Extended Air Shower) experiments with energy below 10**16eV and the related studies of the hadronic interaction models. Based on the observed sharp knee structure and the irregularities of the cosmic ray spectrum around knee energy, plus the newly discovered electron and positron excess, the origin of the galactic cosmic rays and the single source model interpretation are discussed, but convincing evidence is not yet available. High precision measurements of the mass composition of primary cosmic rays at knee energ…
Following the possibility of a new mass scale at the 3 PeV knee energy of the cosmic ray energy spectrum, the author suggests that the mass for the dark matter particle should be 8.1 TeV, using GLMR supersymmetry theory . The author discusses the possibility of detecting such a signature in various observational facilities, gamma ray, neutrino and other underground detectors. An analysis of recent data from HESS yields a gamma ray peak at 7.6 +/- 0.1 TeV, providing observational evidence for a dark matter particle mass consistent with the theoretical prediction. The author also suggests that t…
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 origin of observed cosmic ray energy spectra in the knee region (GAPS spectral model) consisting of a pulsar component superimposed upon rigidity-dependent power law diffuse galactic flux. The two-component energy spectral model accounts for both the sharp knee shower spectral phenomenon and observed irregularity of all-particle energy spectrum in the region of 5…
Investigations of the energy spectrum as well as the mass composition of cosmic rays in the energy range of PeVto EeV are important for understanding both, the origin of the galactic and the extragalactic cosmic rays. Recently, three modern experimental installations (KASCADE-Grande, IceTop, Tunka-133), dedicated to investigate this primary energy range, have published new results on the all-particle energy spectrum. In this short review these results are presented and the similarities and differences discussed. In addition, the effects of using different hadronic interaction models for interp…
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, it is required to clarify the transition from galactic to extragalactic sources. In this paper, results of recent experiments measuring around the knee will be reviewed along with the detection techniques. The results on the all-particle energy spectrum and composition in the energy range of the knee up to the ankle will be discussed.
We study the possibility that the gamma ray emission in the Fermi bubbles observed is produced by cosmic ray electrons with a spectrum similar to Galactic cosmic rays. We argue that the cosmic ray electrons steepen near 1 TeV from $E^{-3}$ to about $E^{-4.2}$, and are partially secondaries derived from the knee-feature of normal cosmic rays. We speculate that the observed feature at $\sim 130$ GeV could essentially be due to inverse Compton emission off a pair-production peak on top of a turn-off in the $γ$ ray spectrum at $\sim 130$ GeV. It suggests that the knee of normal cosmic rays is the …
The mixed Hydrogen and Helium (H + He) spectrum with a clear steepening at $\sim 700$ TeV has been detected by ARGO-YBJ experiments. In this paper, we demonstrate that the observed H + He spectrum can be well reproduced with the model of cosmic rays escaping from the supernova remnants (SNRs) in our Galaxy. In this model, particles are accelerated in a SNR through a non-linear diffusive shock acceleration mechanism and three components of high energy light nuclei escaped from the SNR are considered. It should be noted that the proton spectrum observed by KASCADE can be also explained by this m…
We investigate the possibility that the cosmic ray (CR) knee is entirely explained by the energy-dependent CR leakage from the Milky Way. We test this hypothesis calculating the trajectories of individual CRs with energies between $E/Z=10^{14}$ eV and $10^{17}$ eV propagating them in the regular and turbulent Galactic magnetic field. We find a knee-like structure of the CR escape time $τ_{\rm esc}(E)$ around $E/Z={\rm few}\times 10^{15}$ eV for a coherence length $l_{\rm c} \simeq 2$ pc of the turbulent field, while the decrease of $τ_{\rm esc}(E)$ slows down around $E/Z\simeq 10^{16}$ eV in m…
The origin of cosmic rays at all energies is still uncertain. In this paper we present and explore an astrophysical scenario to produce cosmic rays with energy ranging from below $10^{15}$ o $3 \times 10^{20}$ eV. We show here that just our Galaxy and the radio galaxy Cen A, each with their own galactic cosmic ray particles, but with those from the radio galaxy pushed up in energy by a relativistic shock in the jet emanating from the active black hole, are sufficient to describe the most recent data in the energy range PeV to near ZeV. Data are available over this entire energy range from the …
We perform a fit to measurements of the cosmic ray spectrum and of the depth of shower maximum in the energy range between $10^{15}$~eV and $10^{18}$~eV. We consider a Galactic component that is a mixture of five representative nuclear species (H, He, N, Si and Fe), for which we adopt rigidity dependent broken power-law spectra, and we allow for an extragalactic component which becomes strongly suppressed for decreasing energies. The relative abundances of the Galactic components at $10^{15}$~eV are taken to be comparable to those determined by direct measurements at $10^{13}$~eV. The main fea…
Nonmonotonic change with energy of the mean logarithmic mass of cosmic rays in the knee region: the mechanism of formation of this feature and sources of particles
A new air-shower core-detector array (YAC : Yangbajing Air-shower Core-detector array) has been developed to measure the primary cosmic-ray composition at the "knee" energies in Tibet, China, focusing mainly on the light components. The prototype experiment (YAC-I) consisting of 16 detectors has been constructed and operated at Yangbajing (4300 m a.s.l.) in Tibet since May 2009. YAC-I is installed in the Tibet-III AS array and operates together. In this paper, we performed a Monte Carlo simulation to check the sensitivity of YAC-I+Tibet-III array to the cosmic-ray light component of cosmic ray…
Energy spectra of the most energetic hadrons in the core region of extensive air showers (EAS) were studied in dependence on the EAS energy $E_0$ in the hybrid experiment HADRON at the Tien Shan mountain cosmic ray station. For the first time by direct measurement it was found in this experiment that the slope of the power energy spectrum of EAS hadrons diminishes itself locally, and the average hadron energy, correspondingly, increases between the $E_0$ borders 3PeV and 20PeV. Such behavior agrees with threshold appearance in EAS, in the same energy range, of a long-flying penetrative compone…
Microquasar Remnants as Pevatrons Illuminating the Galactic Cosmic Ray Knee
Key Laboratory of Particle Astrophysics and Experimental Physics Division and Computing Center, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院高能物理研究所粒子天体物理重点实验室及实验物理部计算中心）；TIANFU Cosmic Ray Research Center（天府宇宙线研究中心）；Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah（犹他大学物理与天文系）
Spectral Softenings, Composition Bump, and Anisotropy Transition: A Consistent Picture of Cosmic-Ray Origin Below the Knee
Hebei Normal University（河北师范大学）；Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院高能物理研究所）；University of Wisconsin–Madison（威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校）；TIANFU Cosmic Ray Research Center（天府宇宙线研究中心）；University of Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院大学）
