Investigating the Cherenkov light lateral distribution function for primary proton and iron nuclei in extensive air showers

Abstract

The lateral distribution function (LDF) of Cherenkov radiation in extensive air showers (EAS) was simulated by CORSIKA program for the conditions of Yakutsk Cherenkov array at the high energy range (1013–1016) eV for two primary particles (p and Fe) for different zenith angles. By depending on Breit-Wigner function for analyzing of Cherenkov light LDF, a parameterization of Cherenkov light LDF was reconstructed by depending on CORSIKA simulation as a function of primary energy. The comparison between the estimated Cherenkov light LDF with the LDF that measured on the Yakutsk EAS array gives the ability of particle identification that initiated the shower and determination of particle’s energy around the knee region. The extrapolation of approximated Cherenkov light LDF for energies 20 and 30 PeV was obtained for primary particles (p and Fe).