Measurement of the proton-air cross section with Telescope Array’s Middle Drum detector and surface array in hybrid mode

Abstract

In this work we are reporting on the measurement of the proton-air inelastic cross section $\sigma^{\rm inel}_{\rm p-air}$ using the Telescope Array (TA) detector. Based on the measurement of the $\sigma^{\rm inel}_{\rm p-air}$ the proton-proton cross section $\sigma_{\rm p-p}$ value is also determined at $\sqrt{s} = 95_{-8}^{+5}$ TeV. Detecting cosmic ray events at ultra high energies with Telescope Array enables us to study this fundamental parameter that we are otherwise unable to access with particle accelerators. The data used in this report is the hybrid events observed by the Middle Drum fluorescence detector together with the surface array detector collected over five years. The value of the $\sigma^{\rm inel}_{\rm p-air}$ is found to be equal to $567.0 \pm 70.5 [{\rm Stat.}] ^{+29}_{-25} [{\rm Sys.}]$ mb. The total proton-proton cross section is subsequently inferred from Glauber Formalism and Block, Halzen and Stanev QCD inspired fit and is found to be equal to $170_{-44}^{+48} [{\rm Stat.}] _{-17}^{+19} [{\rm Sys.}] $mb.