The breakdown of the Feynman scaling law, observed at the CERN SPS pp collider (&s =540 or 900 GeV), leads to decreasing inelasticity, which is not compatible with high-energy cosmic-ray data {E0 =10' -10' eV) obtained through emulsion-chamber experiments. It is pointed out that the existence of the cosmic-ray exotic events of Centauro, Chiron, etc. , possibly reconciles the discrepancy. PACS number{s): 13.85. Tp, 13.85.Hd

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Characteristics of cosmic-ray hadronic interactions in the l00_1017 eV range are studied by observing a total of 429 cosmic-ray families of visible energy greater than 100 TeV found in emulsion chamber experiments at high mountain altitudes, Chacaltaya (5200 m above sea level) and the Pamirs (4300 m above sea level). Extensive comparisons were made with simulated families based on models so far proposed, concentrating on the relation between the observed family flux and the behaviour of high-energy showers in the families, hadronic and electromagnetic components. It is concluded that there must be global change in characteristics of hadronic interactions at around l0b~eV deviating from those known in the accelerator energy range, specially in the forwardmost angular region of the collision. A detailed study of a new shower phenomenon of small-pT particle emissions, PT being of the order of 10 MeV/c, is carried out and its relation to the origin of huge "halo" phenomena associated with extremely high energy families is discussed as one of the possibilities. General characteristics of such super-families are surveyed.

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