Test of Hadronic Interaction Models in the Forward Region with KASCADE Event Rates

An analysis of muon and hadron rates observed in the central detector of the KASCADE experiment has been carried out. The data are compared to CORSIKA simulations employing the high-energy hadronic interaction models QGSJET, DPMJET, HDPM, SIBYLL, and VENUS. In addition, first results with the new hadronic interaction model neXus 2 are discussed. Differences of the model predictions, both among each other and when confronted with measurements, are observed. The hadron rates mainly depend on the inelastic cross-section and on the contribution of diffraction dissociation. The discrepancy between simulations and measurements at low primary energies around 5 TeV can be reduced by increasing the non-diffractive part of the inelastic cross-section of nucleon-air interactions. Examination of hadron multiplicities points towards harder spectra of secondary pions and kaons needed in the calculations. To be published in Journal of Physics G + Now at: Humboldt University, 10099 Berlin, Germany ♯ Now at: Warsaw University of Technology, 09–400 Plock, Poland ††Now at: University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K. ‖ On leave of absence from the Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia ¶ Corresponding author. FAX: +49–7247–82–4047, E–mail: [email protected]