Precise measurements of the cosmic ray proton energy spectrum in the “knee” region

作者：Z. Cao, F. Aharonian, Y.X Bai, Y. W. Bao, D. Bastieri, X. J. Bi, Y. J. Bi, Wei‐Hao Bian, A.V Bukevich, Chang Cai, Weiling Cao, Zhe Cao, Jin Chang, J. F. Chang, A.M. Chen, E. S. Chen, Guohua Chen, Hongyu Chen, Liang Chen, Long Chen, M. J. Chen, M.L. Chen, Qin Chen, S. Chen, Chen Sh, S. Z. Chen, T. L. Chen, X.B. Chen, X.J. Chen, Y. Chen, Na Cheng, Yaodong Cheng, M. C. Chu, Maxwell Cui, S. W. Cui, Xiaohong Cui, Y. D. Cui, B. Z. Dai, H.L. Dai, Zi-Gao Dai, Danzengluobu, Yu-xiang Diao, X.Q Dong, K. K. Duan, J. H. Fan, Yi-Zhong Fan, Jun Fang, J. Fang, K. Fang, C. Feng, Hansheng Feng, Lei Feng, S.H. Feng, X.T Feng, Yuliang Feng, Y. L. Feng, S. Gabici, Bo Gao, C. D. Gao, Qing Gao, Wei Gao, Wei Gao, M.M Ge, Tingting Ge, Li‐Sheng Geng, Gwenael Giacinti, G. Gong, Q. B. Gou, M. H. Gu, Fulai Guo, Jian Guo, X. L. Guo, Yanjun Guo, Yao Guo, Y. A. Han, O. A. Hannuksela, M. Zahid Hasan, H.H He, Hongbin He, Jiangbiao He, Xiaoyang He, Yuefeng He, S. Hernández-Cadena, Biao Hou, Chang Hou, Xiaoyu Hou, H. B. Hu, S. C. Hu, Chen Huang, D.H Huang, J. Huang, T.Q Huang, Weidong Huang, X. T. Huang, X.Y Huang, Y. Huang, Yanyi Huang, Xiangdong Ji, H.Y Jia, K. Jia, H. B. Jiang, K. Jiang, X. W. Jiang, Zhijie Jiang, Ming Jin, S Kaci, M. M. Kang, I. Karpikov, D. Khangulyan, D. Kuleshov, K. Kurinov, Bing Li, Cheng Li, Cong Li, Dongzi Li, Fenghe Li, Haibo Li, H. C. Li, Jian Li, Jie Li, K. Li, Q. Li, Renhao Li, Shaoquan Li, Tao Li, Wenting Li, Xinru Li, Xin Li, Yufeng Li, Yang Li, Zhe Li, Z. Li, En‐Wei Liang, Yun-Feng Liang, Shangrong Lin, P. Lipari, B. Liu, C. Liu, D. Liu, D. Liu, Hao Liu, H.D. Liu, Jifeng Liu, J. L. Liu, J.R. Liu, M. Liu, R.Y. Liu, Siming Liu, Wei Liu, X. Liu, Y. Liu, Y. Liu, Y.N. Liu, Yufeng Lou, Qi Luo, Yu Luo, H. K. Lv, B.Q Ma, L.L. Ma, Xinhua Ma, J. R. Mao, Z. Min, W. Mitthumsiri, Guobin Mou, Haowei Mu, A. Neronov, Kenny C. Y. Ng, Michael Y. Ni, Liping Nie, L.J Ou, P. Pattarakijwanich, Z. Y. Pei, Jian Chen Qi, M. Qi, J. J. Qin, Ali Raza, Chengyan Ren, D. Ruffolo, A. Sáiz, D. Semikoz, L. Shao, O. Shchegolev, Ya-Ching Shen, X. D. Sheng, Zhuofan Shi, Fengchun Shu, H. C. Song, V. I. Stepanov, Yang Su, Danfeng Sun, Hui Sun, Q. N. Sun, X. N. Sun, Zhifeng Sun, N.H Tabasam, J. Takata, P. H. T. Tam, Hongbing Tan, Q.W Tang, Rui Tang, Z. Tang, W. W. Tian, Cunzhu Tong, Langhui Wan, Cunshi Wang, Guofeng Wang, H. G. Wang, J.C. Wang, Kai Wang, Kai Wang, Kai Wang, L.P Wang, L.Y. Wang, L.Y. Wang, R. Wang, R. Wang, Xiaogang Wang, Xingjun Wang, Xuefeng Wang, Y. Wang, Y.D. Wang, Z.H. Wang, Z.X. Wang, Zheng Wang, Da-Ming Wei, Jun-Jie Wei, Yifan Wei, Tao Wen, Su-Ming Weng, C. Y. Wu, H. Wu, Qi Wu, Sheng Wu, X. F. Wu, Yong Wu, Shao-Qiang Xi, Jun Xia, J. Xia, G. M. Xiang, Dong Xiao, Guoqing Xiao, Y. Xin, Y. M. Xing, Danrong Xiong, Z. Xiong, D. L. Xu, R.F Xu, Renxin Xu, Wang Xu, L. Xue, D. Yan, T. Yan, Chaowen Yang, C. Y. Yang, Fang Yang, Lili Yang, Min Yang, Ruizhi Yang, Wen Yang, Zhi Yang, Zhiyuan Yao, Xianming Ye, L. Q. Yin, N. Yin, X. H. You, Z. Y. You, Q. Yuan, Han Yue, H.D. Zeng, T. X. Zeng, Wenhan Zeng, Xiaofei Zeng, M. Zha, Bin‐Bin Zhang, B.T. Zhang, Chao Zhang, F. Zhang, Honggang Zhang, H.M Zhang, H.Y. Zhang, J.L. Zhang, Li Zhang, P.F. Zhang, P.P. Zhang, R. Zhang, Shun‐Rong Zhang, S.S Zhang, Weiya Zhang, X. Zhang, X.P. Zhang, Yongqiang Zhang, Yong Zhang, Zhitao Zhang, J. Y. Zhao, Lei Zhao, Lei Zhao, S. P. Zhao, Xuzhe Zhao, Zhonghai Zhao, Fa‐Kun Zheng, W.J Zhong, Banghao Zhou, H. Zhou, Jiang‐Ning Zhou, Meng Zhou, Ping Zhou, Rongpu Zhou, X. X. Zhou, X. X. Zhou, Baohua Zhu, C. G. Zhu, F.R. Zhu, Haiyan Zhu, K. J. Zhu, Yuan-Chuan Zou, Xiaobing Zuo · 发表于：中国科学通报：英文版 · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.scib.2025.10.048 · 被引用次数：13 · 研究领域：Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena、Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena、Radiation Therapy and Dosimetry

We report the high-purity identification of cosmic-ray (CR) protons and a precise measurement of their energy spectrum from 0.15 to 12 PeV using the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). Abundant event statistics, combined with the simultaneous detection of electrons/photons, muons, and Cherenkov light in air showers, enable spectroscopic measurements with statistical and systematic precision comparable to satellite data at lower energies. The proton spectrum shows significant hardening relative to low-energy extrapolations, culminating at 3 PeV, followed by sharp softening. This distinct spectral structure closely aligned with the knee in the all-particle spectrum points to the emergence of a new CR component at PeV energies that might be linked to the dozens of PeVatrons recently discovered by LHAASO, and offers crucial clues to the origin of Galactic cosmic rays.