Component Of Extensive Air Showers Research Articles

Dependence of the Energy Deposit of Muon Bundles on Local Muon Density and Zenith Angle

Energy characteristics of the muon component of extensive air showers (EASes) are investigated at the NEVOD experimental complex in order to solve the problem of a detected excess of muons in EASes at ultrahigh energies, relative to simulation results. The dependences of the energy deposit of muon bundles on the zenith angle and the local muon density are obtained for primary energies of 10–1000 PeV. The results from comparing the data to simulations performed with the CORSIKA program are presented.

Underground neutron events at Tien Shan

The events of multiple neutron production under a 2000 g/cm2 thick rock absorber were studied at the Tien Shan mountain cosmic ray station, at an altitude of 3340 m above the sea level. From comparison of the experimental and Geant4 simulated neutron multiplicity spectra it follows that the great bulk of these events can be explained by interaction of cosmic ray muons with internal material of neutron detector. In synchronous operation of the underground neutron monitor with the Tien Shan shower detector system it was found that the characteristics of the muonic component of extensive air showers which is seemingly responsible for generation of neutron events underground do change noticeably within the energy range of the knee of primary cosmic ray spectrum. Some peculiar shower events were detected when the neutron signal reveals itself only ∼100–1000 µs after the passage of the front of shower particles which probably means an existence of corresponding delay of the muon flux in such events.

Latest Cosmic Ray Results from IceTop and IceCube

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the geographic South Pole, with its surface array IceTop, detects three different components of extensive air showers: the total signal at the surface, low energy muons on the periphery of the showers, and high energy muons in the deep In Ice array of IceCube. These measurements enable determination of the energy spectrum and composition of cosmic rays from PeV to EeV energies, the anisotropy in the distribution of cosmic ray arrival directions, the muon density of cosmic ray air showers, and the PeV gamma-ray flux. Furthermore, IceTop can be used as a veto for the neutrino measurements. The latest results from these IceTop analyses will be presented along with future plans.

Studies of the UHECR Mass Composition and Hadronic Interactions with the FD and SD of the Pierre Auger Observatory

With data on the depth of maximum Xmax collected during more than a decade of operation of the Pierre Auger Observatory, we report on the inferences on the mass composition of UHECRs in the energy range E = 1017.2 – 1019.6 eV and on the measurements of the proton-air cross section for energies up to 1018.5 eV. We also present the results on Xmax obtained using the information on the particle arrival times recorded by the SD stations allowing us to extend the Xmax measurements up to 1020 eV. The inferences on mass composition, in particular using the data of the SD, are subject to systematic uncertainties due to uncertainties in the description of hadronic interactions at ultra-high energies. We discuss this problem with respect to the properties of the muonic component of extensive air-showers as derived from the SD data.

Measuring the energy deposited by muon bundles of inclined EAS in the NEVOD–DECOR experiment

As part of an in-depth investigation of the muon excess observed in ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays, one needs to measure the energy characteristics of muon component of extensive air showers (EAS). The mean muon energy can be estimated from the energy deposited in the detector by the muon bundles. In the NEVOD–DECOR experiment, the local muon density and the shower-arrival direction are measured with a track-coordinate detector, and the deposited energy is measured in the Cherenkov calorimeter. The results of the measurements carried out in 17400 h of detector operation are compared with those of the simulation based on the CORSIKA package.

EAS thermal neutron detection with the PRISMA-LHAASO-16 experiment

EAS (extensive air shower) thermal neutron measurement gives advantages to study energy and mass composition of primary cosmic rays especially in the knee region. After the success of the PRISMA-YBJ experiment, we build a new EAS thermal neutron detection array at Tibet University, Lhasa, China (3700 m a.s.l.) in March, 2017. This prototype array so called "PRISMA-LHAASO-16" consists of 16 EAS EN-detectors ("EN" is abbreviation for electron and neutron) measuring two main EAS components: hadronic and electromagnetic ones. Different from PRISMA-YBJ, these detectors use a thin layer of a novel type of ZnS(Ag) scintillator alloyed with natural boron compound for thermal neutron capture. PRISMA-LHAASO-16 will be moved to the LHAASO site in the near future. In this paper, we introduce principle of the detection technique, deployment of the array, and the test results of the array.

A new way of studying the mass composition of cosmic rays

A new way of studying mass composition of cosmic rays is proposed. The electronic and hardronic components of extensive air showers (EASs) are measured over the area of the unit using special scintillator detectors (en-detectors). Shower distribution R = е/n (i.e., the ratio of release of energy measured by endetectors (е, in particles) to the number of recorded thermal neutrons (n)) is suggested for use as a measured parameter that depends on the atomic number of the primary particle. According to preliminary calculations, this distribution differs for different types of primary particles at the level of observation.

Measurements of the energy deposit of multi-muon events in the Cherenkov water calorimeter

To solve the problem of the excess of multi-muon events observed in several cosmic ray experiments at ultra-high energies (so-called “muon puzzle”), an analysis of the energy characteristics of the muon component of extensive air showers (EAS) is required. A possible approach to such investigations is the measurement of the energy deposit of muon bundles in the detector, which provides information on the mean muon energy. In the experiment now being conducted at the NEVOD-DECOR complex, the local muon density and EAS arrival direction are determined according to the data of the coordinate-tracking detector DECOR, whereas the energy deposit is measured by means of the Cherenkov water calorimeter NEVOD. Results of the measurements of the energy deposit of inclined muon bundles based on the data accumulated during more than 23,200 h observations in 2012 – 2016 are presented and compared with simulations performed by means of the CORSIKA code.

Measurements of the energy deposit of multi-muon events in the Cherenkov water calorimeter

To solve the problem of the excess of multi-muon events observed in several cosmic ray experiments at ultra-high energies (so-called “muon puzzle”), an analysis of the energy characteristics of the muon component of extensive air showers (EAS) is required. A possible approach to such investigations is the measurement of the energy deposit of muon bundles in the detector, which provides information on the mean muon energy. In the experiment now being conducted at the NEVOD-DECOR complex, the local muon density and EAS arrival direction are determined according to the data of the coordinate-tracking detector DECOR, whereas the energy deposit is measured by means of the Cherenkov water calorimeter NEVOD. Results of the measurements of the energy deposit of inclined muon bundles based on the data accumulated during more than 23,200 h observations in 2012 – 2016 are presented and compared with simulations performed by means of the CORSIKA code.

Fast “swarm of detectors” and their application in cosmic rays

New opportunities in science appeared with the latest technology of the 21st century. This paper points to creating a new architecture for detection systems of different characteristics in astrophysics and geophysics using the latest technologies related to multicopter cluster systems, alternative energy sources, cluster technologies, cloud computing and big data. The idea of a quick-deployable scaleable dynamic system of a controlled drone with a small set of different detectors for detecting various components of extensive air showers in cosmic rays and in geophysics is very attractive. Development of this type of new system also allows to give a multiplier effect for the development of various sciences and research methods to observe natural phenomena.

Cosmic-ray composition measurements and cosmic ray background-freeγ-ray observations with Cherenkov telescopes

Muon component of extensive air showers (EAS) initiated by cosmic ray particles carries information on the primary particle identity. We show that the muon content of EAS could be measured in a broad energy range from 10-100 TeV up to ultra-high-energy cosmic ray range using wide field-of-view imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes observing strongly inclined or nearly horizontal EAS from the ground of from high altitude. Cherenkov emission from muons in such EAS forms a distinct component (halo or tail) of the EAS image in the telescope camera. We show that detection of the muon signal could be used to measure composition of the cosmic ray spectrum in the energy ranges of the knee, the ankle and of the Galactic-to-extragalactic transition. It could also be used to veto the cosmic ray background in gamma-ray observations. This technique provides a possibility for up to two orders of magnitude improvement of sensitivity for gamma-ray flux in the energy band above 10 PeV, compared to KASCADE-Grande, and an order-of-magnitude improvement of sensitivity in the multi-EeV energy band, compared to Pierre Auger Observatory.

Changes in extensive air showers from isotropic Lorentz violation in the photon sector

We consider a theory with isotropic nonbirefringent Lorentz violation in the photon sector and explore the effects on the development of the electromagnetic component of extensive air showers in the Earth atmosphere. Specifically, we consider the case of a "fast" photon with a phase velocity larger than the maximum attainable velocity of a massive Dirac fermion (this case corresponds to a negative Lorentz-violating parameter $\kappa$ in the action). Shower photons with above-threshold energies decay promptly into electron-positron pairs, instead of decaying by the conventional production of electron-positron pairs in the background fields of atomic nuclei. This rapid production of charged leptons accelerates the shower development, decreasing the atmospheric depth of the shower maximum ($X_\text{max}$) by an amount which could be measured by cosmic-ray observatories. Precise measurements of $X_\text{max}$ could then improve existing limits on the negative Lorentz-violating parameter $\kappa$ by several orders of magnitude.

Primary spectrum and composition with IceCube/IceTop

IceCube, with its surface array IceTop, detects three different components of extensive air showers: the total signal at the surface, GeV muons in the periphery of the showers and TeV muons in the deep array of IceCube. The spectrum is measured with high resolution from the knee to the ankle with IceTop. Composition and spectrum are extracted from events seen in coincidence by the surface array and the deep array of IceCube. The muon lateral distribution at the surface is obtained from the data and used to provide a measurement of the muon density at 600 meters from the shower core up to 30 PeV. Results are compared to measurements from other experiments to obtain an overview of the spectrum and composition over an extended range of energy. Consistency of the surface muon measurements with hadronic interaction models and with measurements at higher energy is discussed.

Detection of Ultrahigh‐Energy Cosmic Rays with the Auger Engineering Radio Array

Ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays interact with the Earth's atmosphere and produce great numbers of secondary particles forming an extensive air shower. These air showers emit radiation in the radio frequency range which delivers important information about the processes of radio emission in extensive air showers and properties of the primary cosmic rays, e.g. arrival direction, energy and mass with a duty cycle close to 100%. The radio extension of the world's largest cosmic-ray experiment, the Pierre Auger Observatory, is called the Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA). In addition to the particle and fluorescence detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory, AERA investigates the electromagnetic component of extensive air showers using 153 autonomous radio stations on an area of 17km2.

Detection of thermal neutrons with the PRISMA-YBJ array in extensive air showers selected by the ARGO-YBJ experiment

We report on a measurement of thermal neutrons, generated by the hadronic component of extensive air showers (EAS), by means of a small array of EN-detectors developed for the PRISMA project (PRImary Spectrum Measurement Array), novel devices based on a compound alloy of ZnS(Ag) and 6LiF. This array has been operated within the ARGO-YBJ experiment at the high altitude Cosmic Ray Observatory in Yangbajing (Tibet, 4300 m a.s.l.). Due to the tight correlation between the air shower hadrons and thermal neutrons, this technique can be envisaged as a simple way to estimate the number of high energy hadrons in EAS. Coincident events generated by primary cosmic rays of energies greater than 100 TeV have been selected and analyzed. The EN-detectors have been used to record simultaneously thermal neutrons and the air shower electromagnetic component. The density distributions of both components and the total number of thermal neutrons have been measured. The correlation of these data with the measurements carried out by ARGO-YBJ confirms the excellent performance of the EN-detector.

Study of muon bundles from extensive air showers with the ALICE detector at CERN LHC

ALICE is one of four large experiments at the CERN Large Hadron Collider, specially designed to study particle production in ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions. Located 52 meters underground with 28 meters of overburden rock, it has also been used to detect muons produced by cosmic-ray interactions in the upper atmosphere. The large size and excellent tracking capability of the ALICE Time Projection Chamber are exploited to study the muonic component of extensive air showers. We present the multiplicity distribution of these atmospheric muons and its comparison with Monte Carlo simulations. The latest version of the QGSJET hadronic interaction model was used to simulate the development of the resulting air showers. High multiplicity events containing more than 100 reconstructed muons were also studied. Similar events have been studied in previous underground experiments such as ALEPH and DELPHI at LEP without satisfactory explanations for the frequency of the highest multiplicity events. We demonstrate that the high muon-multiplicity events observed in ALICE stem from primary cosmic rays with energies above 1016 eV and that the frequency of these events can be successfully described by assuming a heavy mass composition of primary cosmic rays in this energy range.

Project of the URAN array for registration of atmospheric neutrons

The project of a new setup is directed at the registration of atmospheric neutrons (URAN) generated by hadronic component of extensive air showers (EAS). The setup includes 72 en-detector which simultaneously register two major EAS components: electromagnetic by the group passage of charged particles and hadron component by the thermal neutrons. The neutrons and charged particles are detected using a specialized scintillation composition made of granulated alloy of crystals based on the ZnS(Ag) powder with an admixture of B2O3.

Cosmic ray measurements around the knee

Primary cosmic rays of energy greater than ∼10 14 eV must be studied by indirect experiments measuring the particles generated in the EAS (Extensive Air Shower) development in atmosphere. These experiments are mainly limited by the systematic errors due to their energy calibration. I will discuss the main sources of these errors: the choice of the hadronic interaction model and of the mass of the primary particle (that cannot be measured on a event by event basis). I will then summarize some recent measurements of the all particle spectrum, and I will show that, keeping into account the differences due to the energy calibration, they all agree on the spectral shape. Then I will describe the measurements of the light and heavy primaries mass groups spectra, discussing the claimed features. Using a simple calculation of the elemental spectra (based on the hypothesis that the knee energies follow a Peter's cycle) I will try to discuss if all these results can be interpreted in a common picture. • Surface arrays: sampling the EAS at fixed atmospheric depth. Almost all of these arrays are able to simultaneously detect more than one EAS components: usually the electromagnetic and the muonic ones. Detecting the particle density and arrival times at different distances from the shower core these arrays derive the arrival direction of the primary cosmic ray, the number of charged particles (Nch) and the number of muons (N) in the EAS at observation level. Both Nch and N are derived as normalization of the lateral distribution of the particle density and can be defined either as the total number of particles at observation level or as the number of particles at a fixed distance from the shower core (distance that has to be fixed by every single experiment and depends both on the detector layout and on the primary energy range studied by the array). These detectors operate with a 100% duty cycle. • Cherenkov arrays: detecting the cherenkov light emitted by particles during EAS development. The big advantage of these arrays is that they perform an almost

Novel method for detecting the hadronic component of extensive air showers

A novel method for studying the hadronic component of extensive air showers (EAS) is proposed. The method is based on recording thermal neutrons accompanying EAS with en-detectors that are sensitive to two EAS components: an electromagnetic (e) component and a hadron component in the form of neutrons (n). In contrast to hadron calorimeters used in some arrays, the proposed method makes it possible to record the hadronic component over the whole area of the array. The efficiency of a prototype array that consists of 32 en-detectors was tested for a long time, and some parameters of the neutron EAS component were determined.

The promise of the Tunka-Grande scintillation experiment for studying the mass composition of primary cosmic rays

A description of the project of the Tunka-Grande scintillation complex is provided. The prospects of studying the energy spectrum and mass composition of the primary cosmic rays during simultaneous registration of the Cherenkov, electron, and muon components of extensive air showers are discussed.