Abstract
Abstract Based on a Monte Carlo simulation study of vertical extensive air showers (EAS) at the KASCADE location we introduce a new simple observable η ρ(45;310) (in short η ρ ) - the ratio between two lateral electron densities of an EAS measured at two well-defined radial distances indicated by the characteristic radial feature of the local age parameter (LAP). Our analyses of simulated data generated by the Group I nuclei with cosmic-ray elemental masses, A actual = 1, 4, 12, 16, 24, 32, 40, 56, observed a double correlation of η ρ with, (i) the lateral shower age s av, and (ii) A actual of the EAS initiating primary particle. Applying the first correlation to a new set of simulated showers initiated by the Group II nuclei with A actual = 7, 14, 20, 28, 40, 52, the average difference between the lateral shower age s av obtained directly from the conventional LAP approach and the estimated one s est is found to be close to 0. The second correlation involving η ρ with A actual applied to the set of such showers estimates the average atomic mass 〈 ln A est 〉 of their shower initiating primaries, utilizing the η ρ s. Results of the work revealed that the method of estimating the lateral shower age is almost high-energy interaction model-independent. A certain level of model dependence is albeit found in the case of 〈 ln A est 〉 estimation.
Published Version
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