skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Measurement of the Energy Spectrum of Cosmic Rays above $$10^{18}$$ eV Using the Pierre Auger Observatory

Journal Article · · Phys.Lett.B

We report a measurement of the flux of cosmic rays with unprecedented precision and statistics using the Pierre Auger Observatory. Based on fluorescence observations in coincidence with at least one surface detector we derive a spectrum for energies above 10 18 eV. We also update the previously published energy spectrum obtained with the surface detector array. The two spectra are combined addressing the systematic uncertainties and, in particular, the influence of the energy resolution on the spectral shape. The spectrum can be described by a broken power law E-γ with index γ=3.3 below the ankle which is measured at log10(Eankle/eV)=18.6 . Above the ankle the spectrum is described by a power law with index 2.6 followed by a flux suppression, above about log10(E/eV)=19.5 , detected with high statistical significance.

Research Organization:
Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
Contributing Organization:
Pierre Auger
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-07CH11359
OSTI ID:
1872091
Report Number(s):
FERMILAB-PUB-10-093-A; arXiv:1002.1975; oai:inspirehep.net:845562
Journal Information:
Phys.Lett.B, Vol. 685
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (31)

Evidence for correlated changes in the spectrum and composition of cosmic rays at extremely high energies journal November 1993
The Central Laser Facility at the Pierre Auger Observatory journal November 2006
Nonlinear screening effects in high energy hadronic interactions journal July 2006
At what particle energy do extragalactic cosmic rays start to predominate? journal February 2005
The surface detector system of the Pierre Auger Observatory
  • Allekotte, I.; Barbosa, A. F.; Bauleo, P.
  • Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 586, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2007.12.016
journal March 2008
One-dimensional hybrid approach to extensive air shower simulation journal January 2007
Dip in UHECR spectrum as signature of proton interaction with CMB journal April 2005
Hybrid Activities of the Pierre Auger Observatory journal March 2007
An upper limit to the photon fraction in cosmic rays above 1019eV from the Pierre Auger Observatory journal March 2007
Upper limit on the cosmic-ray photon flux above 1019eV using the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory journal May 2008
Photon yields from nitrogen gas and dry air excited by electrons journal December 2003
Measurement of the flux of ultra high energy cosmic rays by the stereo technique journal August 2009
On the re-summation of enhanced pomeron diagrams journal April 2006
End to the Cosmic-Ray Spectrum? journal April 1966
Determination of the calorimetric energy in extensive air showers journal November 2004
Capabilities of a giant hybrid air shower detector journal August 1995
sibyll: An event generator for simulation of high energy cosmic ray cascades journal November 1994
The Lidar system of the Pierre Auger Observatory
  • BenZvi, S. Y.; Cester, R.; Chiosso, M.
  • Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 574, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2007.01.094
journal April 2007
Upper limit on the cosmic-ray photon fraction at EeV energies from the Pierre Auger Observatory journal July 2009
The cosmic ray energy spectrum above 4*10 17 eV as measured by the Haverah Park array journal May 1991
Limit on the diffuse flux of ultrahigh energy tau neutrinos with the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory journal May 2009
Measurement of the pressure dependence of air fluorescence emission induced by electrons journal September 2007
Trigger and aperture of the surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory
  • Abraham, J.; Abreu, P.; Aglietta, M.
  • Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 613, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2009.11.018
journal January 2010
The offline software framework of the Pierre Auger Observatory
  • Argirò, S.; Barroso, S. L. C.; Gonzalez, J.
  • Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 580, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2007.07.010
journal October 2007
First Observation of the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin Suppression journal March 2008
Properties and performance of the prototype instrument for the Pierre Auger Observatory
  • Abraham, J.; Aglietta, M.; Aguirre, I. C.
  • Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 523, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2003.12.012
journal May 2004
Energy spectrum of primary cosmic rays above 10 17.0 eV determined from extensive air shower experiments at Akeno journal February 1992
Observation of the Suppression of the Flux of Cosmic Rays above 4 × 10 19 eV journal August 2008
Can diffusive shock acceleration in supernova remnants account for high-energy galactic cosmic rays? journal April 2005
Signatures of the transition from galactic to extragalactic cosmic rays journal January 2008
Reconstruction of longitudinal profiles of ultra-high energy cosmic ray showers from fluorescence and Cherenkov light measurements
  • Unger, M.; Dawson, B. R.; Engel, R.
  • Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 588, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2008.01.100
journal April 2008

Similar Records

Measurement of the cosmic ray spectrum above 4 × 10{sup 18} eV using inclined events detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory
Journal Article · Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics · OSTI ID:1872091

Measurement of the cosmic-ray energy spectrum above 2.5 × 10 18 eV using the Pierre Auger Observatory
Journal Article · Wed Sep 16 00:00:00 EDT 2020 · Physical Review. D. · OSTI ID:1872091

Constraining the sources of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays across and above the ankle with the spectrum and composition data measured at the Pierre Auger Observatory
Journal Article · Wed May 10 00:00:00 EDT 2023 · Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics · OSTI ID:1872091