A new view of the cosmic-ray knee after LHAASO
astro-ph.HE
Submitted: 2026-10-20
Updated: 2026-10-20
Comments: 9 pages, 3 figures. Contribution to the proceedings of the 23rd International Symposium on Very High Energy Cosmic Ray Interactions (ISVHECRI2026), 5-10 July 2026, Lecce, Italy
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
The gist: Recent LHAASO measurements offer a new view of the cosmic-ray knee by combining the all-particle spectrum and mean logarithmic mass with proton and light-component spectra across the PeV region.
Abstract
Recent LHAASO measurements offer a new view of the cosmic-ray knee by combining the all-particle spectrum and mean logarithmic mass with proton and light-component spectra across the PeV region. This contribution reviews these results and their implications for Galactic acceleration and transport. Approximately charge-ordered proton and helium knees coexist with different spectral evolution, while their turnover shapes constrain source populations and escape mechanisms. These measurements anchor an elemental ``ladder'' that, extended to heavier nuclei, will be crucial for establishing how far the Galactic component persists and where the Galactic--extragalactic transition takes place.
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