2002/12/16 by K. -H. Kampert, Kampert, K. -H.
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics (astro-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.astro-ph/0212348
Invited paper presented at Vulcano Workshop 2002 "Frontier Objects in Astrophysics and Particle Physics", 20.-25. May, Vulcano (Italy) (8 pages, 2 figures)
arxiv created 2002/12/16 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01
A brief review about the chemical composition of cosmic rays in the energy range 1015 < E < 1020 eV is given. While there is convincing evidence for an increasingly heavier composition above the knee, no clear picture has emerged at the highest energies, yet. We discuss implications about the origin of cosmic rays and emphasize systematic differences related to data analysis techniques and to the limited understanding of the air shower development.