Two papers on the knee of cosmic ray spectra have been published in Astrophys J, 2009, 700: L170–L173 and in Sci China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy, 2010, 53(5): 842-847 respectively. The study, based upon data from the Yangbajing cosmic ray observatory in Tibet, has been done by a research team from the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP).

Stimulated by the recent observation of anomalous excesses of cosmic ray electrons and positrons, the authors have proposed a new model trying to connect the knee of cosmic ray spectra with the electron/positron excesses. This model works well to describe the observational data of both the knee and electron/positron excesses.

This result has been selected by the editor of Science China as a piece of important science news due to its high scientific value, which has been also selected, reported by AAAS in EurekAlert.

The calculated all-particle spectrum

The fine structures of CR spectrum

Reference：

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-06/sicp-tka060210.php

Wang B, Yuan Q, Fan C et al. A study on the sharp knee and fine structures of cosmic ray spectra. Sci China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy, 2010, 53(5): 842-847;

http://www.springerlink.com/content/0u3k326174317727

Hu HongBo, Yuan Qiang, Wang Bo, et al. On the e+e？ excesses and the knee of the Cosmic Ray Spectra–Hints of cosmic ray acceleration in young supernova remnants. Astrophys J, 2009, 700: L170–L173

http://iopscience.iop.org/1538-4357/700/2/L170/