Transition from galactic to extragalactic cosmic rays

The study of the transition between galactic and extragalactic cosmic rays can shed more light on the end of the galactic cosmic rays spectrum and the beginning of the extragalactic one. Three models of transition are discussed: ankle, dip and mixed composition models. All these models describe the transition as an intersection of a steep galactic component with a flat extragalactic one. Severe bounds on these models are provided by the Standard Model of galactic cosmic rays according to which the maximum acceleration energy for Iron nuclei is of the order of E-Fe(max) approximate to 1 x 10(17) eV. In the ankle model the transition is assumed at the ankle, a flat feature in the all particle spectrum which observationally starts at energy E-a similar to (3 - 4) x 10(18) eV. This model needs a new high energy galactic component with maximum energy about two orders of magnitude above that of the Standard Model. The origin of such component is discussed. As observations are concerned there are two signatures of the transition: change of energy spectra and mass composition. In all models a heavy galactic component is changed at the transition to a lighter or proton component. As a result the ankle model predicts a galactic Iron component at E < 5 x 10(18) eV, while both HiRes and Auger data show that at (2 - 5) x 10(18) eV primaries are protons, or at least light nuclei. In the dip model the transition occurs at the second knee observed at energy (4 - 7) x 10(17) eV and is characterized by a sharp change of mass composition from galactic Iron to extragalactic protons. The ankle in this model appears automatically as a part of the e e(-) pair-production dip. The mixed composition model describes transition at E similar to 3 x 10(18) eV with mass composition changing from the galactic Iron to extragalactic mixed composition of different nuclei. In most mixed composition models the spectrum is proton-dominated and it better fits HiRes than Auger data. The latter show a steadily heavier mass composition with increasing energy, and we discuss the models which explain it. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.