Electron-photon energies in extensive air showers

Abstract

Average electron and photon energies are found at various distances from the cores of extensive air showers by comparing the multiplicities produced under different thicknesses of lead and of water absorbers as measured through the use of two large scintillators. For distances from 2.3·10−2 to 1.4·10−1 shower units from the cores of showers of 105 to 107 particles the total energy carried by electrons and photons per electron is found to be 61(r/r2)−0.74 MeV per electron. The ratio of the average photon energy to the average electron energy is found to vary from 1.5 to 3.3 at different distances. Transition curves obtained with different thicknesses of water as absorber are used to show that for showers of 4.6·104 particles a total of 1.5·1012 eV is expended in the production of pions per nuclear interaction to give an inelasticity of 0.33.