Constraining the sources of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays across and above the ankle with the spectrum and composition data measured at the Pierre Auger Observatory
Creators: name: The Pierre Auger Collaboration
name: Halim, A. Abdul
name: Abreu, P.
name: Aglietta, M.
name: Allekotte, I.
name: Cheminant, K. Almeida
name: Almela, A.
name: Alvarez-Muñiz, J.
name: Yebra, J. Ammerman
name: Anastasi, G. A.
name: Anchordoqui, L.
name: Andrada, B.
name: Andringa, S.
name: Aramo, C.
name: Ferreira, P. R. Araújo
name: Arnone, E.
name: Velázquez, J. C. Arteaga
name: Asorey, H.
name: Assis, P.
name: Avila, G.
name: Avocone, E.
name: Badescu, A. M.
name: Bakalova, A.
name: Balaceanu, A.
name: Barbato, F.
name: Bellido, J. A.
name: Berat, C.
name: Bertaina, M. E.
name: Bhatta, G.
name: Biermann, P. L.
name: Binet, V.
name: Bismark, K.
name: Bister, T.
name: Biteau, J.
name: Blazek, J.
name: Bleve, C.
name: Blümer, J.
name: Boháčová, M.
name: Boncioli, D.
name: Bonifazi, C.
name: Arbeletche, L. Bonneau
name: Borodai, N.
name: Brack, J.
name: Bretz, T.
name: Orchera, P. G. Brichetto
name: Briechle, F. L.
name: Buchholz, P.
name: Bueno, A.
name: Buitink, S.
name: Buscemi, M.
name: Büsken, M.
name: Bwembya, A.
name: Caballero-Mora, K. S.
name: Caccianiga, L.
name: Caracas, I.
name: Caruso, R.
name: Castellina, A.
name: Catalani, F.
name: Cataldi, G.
name: Cazon, L.
name: Cerda, M.
name: Chinellato, J. A.
name: Chudoba, J.
name: Chytka, L.
name: Clay, R. W.
name: Cerutti, A. C. Cobos
name: Colalillo, R.
name: Coleman, A.
name: Coluccia, M. R.
name: Conceição, R.
name: Condorelli, A.
name: Consolati, G.
name: Conte, M.
name: Contreras, F.
name: Convenga, F.
name: Santos, D. Correia dos
name: Covault, C. E.
name: Cristinziani, M.
name: Sanchez, C. S. Cruz
name: Dasso, S.
name: Daumiller, K.
name: Dawson, B. R.
name: de Almeida, R. M.
name: de Jesús, J.
name: de Jong, S. J.
name: Neto, J. R. T. de Mello
name: De Mitri, I.
name: de Oliveira, J.
name: Franco, D. de Oliveira
name: de Palma, F.
name: de Souza, V.
name: De Vito, E.
name: Del Popolo, A.
name: Deligny, O.
name: Deval, L.
name: di Matteo, A.
name: Dobre, M.
name: Dobrigkeit, C.
name: D'Olivo, J. C.
name: Mendes, L. M. Domingues
name: Anjos, R. C. dos
name: Ebr, J.
name: Eman, M.
name: Engel, R.
name: Epicoco, I.
name: Erdmann, M.
name: Etchegoyen, A.
name: Falcke, H.
name: Farmer, J.
name: Farrar, G.
name: Fauth, A. C.
name: Fazzini, N.
name: Feldbusch, F.
name: Fenu, F.
name: Fick, B.
name: Figueira, J. M.
name: Filipčič, A.
name: Fitoussi, T.
name: Flaggs, B.
name: Fodran, T.
name: Fujii, T.
name: Fuster, A.
name: Galea, C.
name: Galelli, C.
name: García, B.
name: Gemmeke, H.
name: Gesualdi, F.
name: Gherghel-Lascu, A.
name: Ghia, P. L.
name: Giaccari, U.
name: Giammarchi, M.
name: Glombitza, J.
name: Gobbi, F.
name: Gollan, F.
name: Golup, G.
name: Berisso, M. Gómez
name: Vitale, P. F. Gómez
name: Gongora, J. P.
name: González, J. M.
name: González, N.
name: Goos, I.
name: Góra, D.
name: Gorgi, A.
name: Gottowik, M.
name: Grubb, T. D.
name: Guarino, F.
name: Guedes, G. P.
name: Guido, E.
name: Hahn, S.
name: Hamal, P.
name: Hampel, M. R.
name: Hansen, P.
name: Harari, D.
name: Harvey, V. M.
name: Haungs, A.
name: Hebbeker, T.
name: Heck, D.
name: Hojvat, C.
name: Hörandel, J. R.
name: Horvath, P.
name: Hrabovský, M.
name: Huege, T.
name: Insolia, A.
name: Isar, P. G.
name: Janecek, P.
name: Johnsen, J. A.
name: Jurysek, J.
name: Kääpä, A.
name: Kampert, K. H.
name: Keilhauer, B.
name: Khakurdikar, A.
name: Covilakam, V. V. Kizakke
name: Klages, H. O.
name: Kleifges, M.
name: Kleinfeller, J.
name: Knapp, F.
name: Kunka, N.
name: Lago, B. L.
name: Langner, N.
name: de Oliveira, M. A. Leigui
name: Lenok, V.
name: Letessier-Selvon, A.
name: Lhenry-Yvon, I.
name: Presti, D. Lo
name: Lopes, L.
name: López, R.
name: Lu, L.
name: Luce, Q.
name: Lundquist, J. P.
name: Payeras, A. Machado
name: Majercakova, M.
name: Mandat, D.
name: Manning, B. C.
name: Manshanden, J.
name: Mantsch, P.
name: Marafico, S.
name: Mariani, F. M.
name: Mariazzi, A. G.
name: Mariş, I. C.
name: Marsella, G.
name: Martello, D.
name: Martinelli, S.
name: Bravo, O. Martínez
name: Martins, M. A.
name: Mastrodicasa, M.
name: Mathes, H. J.
name: Matthews, J.
name: Matthiae, G.
name: Mayotte, E.
name: Mayotte, S.
name: Mazur, P. O.
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name: Meinert, J.
name: Melo, D.
name: Menshikov, A.
name: Michal, S.
name: Micheletti, M. I.
name: Miramonti, L.
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name: Morejon, L.
name: Morello, C.
name: Müller, A. L.
name: Mulrey, K.
name: Mussa, R.
name: Muzio, M.
name: Namasaka, W. M.
name: Nasr-Esfahani, A.
name: Nellen, L.
name: Nicora, G.
name: Niculescu-Oglinzanu, M.
name: Niechciol, M.
name: Nitz, D.
name: Norwood, I.
name: Nosek, D.
name: Novotny, V.
name: Nožka, L.
name: Nucita, A
name: Núñez, L. A.
name: Oliveira, C.
name: Palatka, M.
name: Pallotta, J.
name: Parente, G.
name: Parra, A.
name: Pawlowsky, J.
name: Pech, M.
name: Pękala, J.
name: Pelayo, R.
name: Martins, E. E. Pereira
name: Armand, J. Perez
name: Bertolli, C. Pérez
name: Perrone, L.
name: Petrera, S.
name: Petrucci, C.
name: Pierog, T.
name: Pimenta, M.
name: Platino, M.
name: Pont, B.
name: Pothast, M.
name: Shavar, M. Pourmohammad
name: Privitera, P.
name: Prouza, M.
name: Puyleart, A.
name: Querchfeld, S.
name: Rautenberg, J.
name: Ravignani, D.
name: Reininghaus, M.
name: Ridky, J.
name: Riehn, F.
name: Risse, M.
name: Rizi, V.
name: de Carvalho, W. Rodrigues
name: Rojo, J. Rodriguez
name: Roncoroni, M. J.
name: Rossoni, S.
name: Roth, M.
name: Roulet, E.
name: Rovero, A. C.
name: Ruehl, P.
name: Saftoiu, A.
name: Saharan, M.
name: Salamida, F.
name: Salazar, H.
name: Salina, G.
name: Gomez, J. D. Sanabria
name: Sánchez, F.
name: Santos, E. M.
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name: Sarazin, F.
name: Sarmento, R.
name: Sato, R.
name: Savina, P.
name: Schäfer, C. M.
name: Scherini, V.
name: Schieler, H.
name: Schimassek, M.
name: Schimp, M.
name: Schlüter, F.
name: Schmidt, D.
name: Scholten, O.
name: Schoorlemmer, H.
name: Schovánek, P.
name: Schröder, F. G.
name: Schulte, J.
name: Schulz, T.
name: Sciutto, S. J.
name: Scornavacche, M.
name: Segreto, A.
name: Sehgal, S.
name: Shivashankara, S. U.
name: Sigl, G.
name: Silli, G.
name: Sima, O.
name: Smau, R.
name: Šmída, R.
name: Sommers, P.
name: Soriano, J. F.
name: Squartini, R.
name: Stadelmaier, M.
name: Stanca, D.
name: Stanič, S.
name: Stasielak, J.
name: Stassi, P.
name: Straub, M.
name: Streich, A.
name: Suárez-Durán, M.
name: Suomijärvi, T.
name: Supanitsky, A. D.
name: Szadkowski, Z.
name: Tapia, A.
name: Taricco, C.
name: Timmermans, C.
name: Tkachenko, O.
name: Tobiska, P.
name: Peixoto, C. J. Todero
name: Tomé, B.
name: Torrès, Z.
name: Travaini, A.
name: Travnicek, P.
name: Trimarelli, C.
name: Tueros, M.
name: Ulrich, R.
name: Unger, M.
name: Vaclavek, L.
name: Vacula, M.
name: Galicia, J. F. Valdés
name: Valore, L.
name: Varela, E.
name: Vásquez-Ramírez, A.
name: Veberič, D.
name: Ventura, C.
name: Quispe, I. D. Vergara
name: Verzi, V.
name: Vicha, J.
name: Vink, J.
name: Vorobiov, S.
name: Watanabe, C.
name: Watson, A. A.
name: Weindl, A.
name: Wiencke, L.
name: Wilczyński, H.
name: Wittkowski, D.
name: Wundheiler, B.
name: Yushkov, A.
name: Zapparrata, O.
name: Zas, E.
name: Zavrtanik, D.
name: Zavrtanik, M.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: In this work we present the interpretation of the energy spectrum and mass composition data as measured by the Pierre Auger Collaboration above $6 \times 10^{17}$ eV. We use an astrophysical model with two extragalactic source populations to model the hardening of the cosmic-ray flux at around $5\times 10^{18}$ eV (the so-called "ankle" feature) as a transition between these two components. We find our data to be well reproduced if sources above the ankle emit a mixed composition with a hard spectrum and a low rigidity cutoff. The component below the ankle is required to have a very soft spectrum and a mix of protons and intermediate-mass nuclei. The origin of this intermediate-mass component is not well constrained and it could originate from either Galactic or extragalactic sources. To the aim of evaluating our capability to constrain astrophysical models, we discuss the impact on the fit results of the main experimental systematic uncertainties and of the assumptions about quantities affecting the air shower development as well as the propagation and redshift distribution of injected ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs).
description: Submitted to JCAP