Measurement of the Iron Spectrum with the MAGIC Telescopes

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Molero, M., Mangano, S., Delgado, C.
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2025
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author Molero, M.
Mangano, S.
Delgado, C.
author_facet Molero, M.
Mangano, S.
Delgado, C.
contents Iron cosmic rays represent the most abundant heavy nuclei at energies above 1 TeV, with their production thought to be primarily originated by astrophysical sources. Therefore, measuring the iron spectrum provides crucial insights into the origin, acceleration, and propagation mechanisms of cosmic rays. While recent results from space-based detectors have revealed unexpected energy dependences in the GeV-TeV range, these measurements are limited by low statistics at higher energies. At energies above a few TeV, ground-based detectors, such as the Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov (MAGIC) telescopes, become more effective due to their large collec- tion areas, enabling them to extend and complement the capabilities of space-borne instruments. In this work, we apply the so-called direct Cherenkov technique, which accounts for the radiation emitted by charged particles before the cascade develops in the atmosphere, with MAGIC to identify iron-induced air showers and distinguish them from those produced by lighter cosmic-ray species.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_17219
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Measurement of the Iron Spectrum with the MAGIC Telescopes
Molero, M.
Mangano, S.
Delgado, C.
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Iron cosmic rays represent the most abundant heavy nuclei at energies above 1 TeV, with their production thought to be primarily originated by astrophysical sources. Therefore, measuring the iron spectrum provides crucial insights into the origin, acceleration, and propagation mechanisms of cosmic rays. While recent results from space-based detectors have revealed unexpected energy dependences in the GeV-TeV range, these measurements are limited by low statistics at higher energies. At energies above a few TeV, ground-based detectors, such as the Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov (MAGIC) telescopes, become more effective due to their large collec- tion areas, enabling them to extend and complement the capabilities of space-borne instruments. In this work, we apply the so-called direct Cherenkov technique, which accounts for the radiation emitted by charged particles before the cascade develops in the atmosphere, with MAGIC to identify iron-induced air showers and distinguish them from those produced by lighter cosmic-ray species.
title Measurement of the Iron Spectrum with the MAGIC Telescopes
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.17219