The cosmic ray energy spectrum around the knee measured with the GAMMA array at Mt. Aragats

Experimental data on EAS characteristics with Ne > 10 5 are used to calculate the so-called αe-parameter which is directly connected with the energy of the primary cosmic ray radiation. It is shown that the distribution of showers selected by a constant value of this parameter is isotropic, and the measurement of the αe-spectrum is a direct way to obtain the primary energy spectrum. Using the αe-parameter, the primary all-particle energy spectrum of the cosmic radiation in the knee region is obtained. The energy spectrum is compared with th ec orresponding data of other experiments.