About the character of the “knee” at E ⋍ 3 · 10 15 eV in the energy spectrum and the mass composition of primary cosmic rays in the energy range 10 15 –10 17 eV

Abstract

The method of rescaling from the muon-multiplicity spectrum to the extensive-air-shower spectrum as a function of the total muon number nμ is presented. The method allows a direct comparison of data obtained in different experiments with muon groups. A direct comparison of data at nμ>1800 and nμ=76–660 has been performed. The data in the region nμ=75–3500 agree better with the assumption that the slope change in the energy spectrum of primary cosmic rays occurs approximately at the same energy per nucleus, Ec=3×1015 eV, and the mass composition in the energy range 1015–1017 eV is close to that observed at 1014 eV.