Measuring the UHE cosmic-ray composition with tracking detectors in air shower arrays
نویسنده
چکیده
Measuring the angles of muons and electrons in air showers is proposed as a method for studying the primary cosmic-ray mass composition near the knee of the cosmic-ray energy spectrum at a few 10 eV. Conventional tracking detectors at existing air shower arrays could serve this purpose, like the CRT detectors at the HEGRA array. When the average radial muon angles are examined as a function of shower core distance, the experimental resolution can be very well calibrated from the tangential angle distribution. The method is particularly promising for measuring changes in the average mass number of the primary cosmic rays with energy. The method is described and experimental and theoretical constraints are discussed.
منابع مشابه
ar X iv : a st ro - p h / 02 11 05 1 v 1 4 N ov 2 00 2 Ultra - High Energy Gamma Rays in Geomagnetic Field and Atmosphere
The nature and origin of ultra-high energy (UHE: referring to > 1019 eV) cosmic rays are great mysteries in modern astrophysics. The current theories for their explanation include the so-called ”top-down” decay scenarios whose main signature is a large ratio of UHE gamma rays to protons. Important step in determining the primary composition at ultra-high energies is the study of air shower deve...
متن کاملHe 2.1.1 the Status of the Extensive Air Shower Experiment Kascade
The extensive air shower (EAS) experiment KASCADE has been installed at the laboratory site of the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe. It consists of an extended array of electron detectors and muon detectors as well as of a compact and complex central detector system. The latter contains a scintillator matrix, muon detectors, and a large hadron calorimeter. The main aim of the KASCADE project is the ...
متن کاملThe Extensive Air Shower Experiment Kascade - First Results
The extensive air shower (EAS) experiment KASCADE has started its operation at the laboratory site of the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, at 49 N, 8 E, 110 m above sea level. It consists of an extended (200 200m 2) array of electron detectors and muon detectors as well as of a compact and complex central detector system. The latter contains a dense scintillator matrix, muon tracking detectors, a s...
متن کاملDetecting Radio Emission from Cosmic Ray Air Showers and Neutrinos with a Digital Radio Telescope
We discuss the possibilities of measuring ultra-high energy cosmic rays and neutrinos with radio techniques. We review a few of the properties of radio emission from cosmic ray air showers and show how these properties can be explained by coherent “geosynchrotron” emission from electron-positron pairs in the shower as they move through the geomagnetic field. This should allow one to use the rad...
متن کاملChanges of the cosmic-ray mass composition in the 1014–1016 eV energy range
Data taken with ten Cosmic Ray Tracking (CRT) detectors and the HEGRA air-shower array on La Palma, Canary Islands, have been analysed to investigate changes of the cosmic-ray mass composition at the ‘knee’ of the cosmic-ray flux spectrum near 1015 eV energy. The analysis is based on the angular distributions of particles in air showers. HEGRA data provided the shower size, direction, and core ...
متن کامل