Observation of the suppression of the flux of cosmic rays above 4×1019eV

The energy spectrum of cosmic rays above 2.5×1018eV, derived from 20000 events recorded at the Pierre Auger Observatory, is described. The spectral index γ of the particle flux, JE-γ, at energies between 4×1018eV and 4×1019eV is 2.69±0.02(stat)±0.06(syst), steepening to 4.2±0.4(stat)±0.06(syst) at h...

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Autor principal: Multitudinario:458
Formato: JOUR
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Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_00319007_v101_n6_p_Multitudinario
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Sumario:The energy spectrum of cosmic rays above 2.5×1018eV, derived from 20000 events recorded at the Pierre Auger Observatory, is described. The spectral index γ of the particle flux, JE-γ, at energies between 4×1018eV and 4×1019eV is 2.69±0.02(stat)±0.06(syst), steepening to 4.2±0.4(stat)±0.06(syst) at higher energies. The hypothesis of a single power law is rejected with a significance greater than 6 standard deviations. The data are consistent with the prediction by Greisen and by Zatsepin and Kuz'min. © 2008 The American Physical Society.