20 years of cosmic muons research performed in IFIN-HH

Abstract

During the last two decades a modern direction in particle physics research has been developed in IFIN-HH Bucharest, Romania. The history started with the WILLI detector built in IFIN-HH Bucharest in collaboration with KIT Karlsruhe (formerly Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe). The detector was designed for measurements of the low energy muon charge ratio (< 1GeV) based on a delayed coincidence method, measuring the decay time of the muons stopped in the detector: the positive muons decay freely, but the negative muons are captured in the atom thus creating muonic atoms and decay depending on the nature of the host atom. In a first configuration, the WILLI detector was placed in a fixed position for measuring vertical muons. Further WILLI has been transformed in a rotatable device which allows directional measurements of muon charge ratio and muon flux. The results exhibit a pronounced azimuthal asymmetry (East-West effect) due to the different in fluence of the geomagnetic field on the trajectories of positive and negative muons in air. In parallel, flux measurement, taking into account muon events with nergies > 0.4GeV, show a diurnal modulation of the muon flux. The analysis of the muon events for energies < 0.6GeV reveals an aperiodic variation of the muon flux. A new detection system performing coincidence measurements between the WILLI calorimeter and a small array of 12 scintillators plates has been installed in IFIN-HH starting from the autumn of 2010. The aim of the system is to investigate muon charge ratio from individual EAS by using the mini-array as trigger for the WILLI calorimeter. Such experimental studies could provide detailed information on hadronic interaction models and primary cosmic ray composition at energies around 1015eV. Simulation studies and preliminary experimental tests, regarding the performances of the mini-array, have been performed using H and Fe primaries, with energies in a range 1013eV - 1015eV. The results show detailed effects of the direction of EAS incidence relative to the geomagnetic field, depending, in particular, of the primary mass. Based on the results, we can say that WILLI-EAS experiment could be used for testing the hadronic interaction models. Measurements of the high energy muon flux in underground of the salt mine from Slanic Prahova, Romania was performed using a new mobile detector developed in IFIN-HH, Bucharest. Consisting of 2 scintillator plates measuring in coincidence, the detector is installed on a van which facilitates measurements on different positions at surface or in underground. The detector was used to measure muon fluxes in different locations at surface or in underground. The detector was used to measure muon fluxes at different sites of Romania and in the underground of the salt mines from Slanic Prahova, Romania where IFIN-HH has a modern underground laboratory. New methods for the detection of cosmic ray muons are investigated in our institute based on scintillator techniques using optical fiber and MPPC photodyodes.