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Measurement of the cosmic ray energy spectrum using hybrid events of the Pierre Auger Observatory

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Abstract

The energy spectrum of ultra-high energy cosmic rays above 1018 eV is measured using the hybrid events collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory between November 2005 and September 2010. The large exposure of the Observatory allows the measurement of the main features of the energy spectrum with high statistics. Full Monte Carlo simulations of the extensive air showers (based on the CORSIKA code) and of the hybrid detector response are adopted here as an independent cross check of the standard analysis (Phys. Lett. B 685, 239 (2010)). The dependence on mass composition and other systematic uncertainties are discussed in detail and, in the full Monte Carlo approach, a region of confidence for flux measurements is defined when all the uncertainties are taken into account. An update is also reported of the energy spectrum obtained by combining the hybrid spectrum and that measured using the surface detector array.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universität Siegen, Siegen, Germany

    Mariangela Settimo

  2. Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica “Ennio De Giorgi”, Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy

    Mariangela Settimo

  3. Observatorio Pierre Auger, Malargüe, Argentina

    Mariangela Settimo

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  1. Mariangela Settimo
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Pierre Auger Collaboration

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Correspondence to Mariangela Settimo.

Additional information

This paper is based on the author’s PhD thesis, that was awarded the INFN Bruno Rossi Prize in 2011.

Lists of authors and their affiliations appear at the end of the paper.

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Settimo, M., Pierre Auger Collaboration. Measurement of the cosmic ray energy spectrum using hybrid events of the Pierre Auger Observatory. Eur. Phys. J. Plus 127, 87 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/i2012-12087-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/i2012-12087-9

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