Mass composition and cross-section from the shape of cosmic ray shower longitudinal profiles

Andringa, S.; Conceição, R.; Pimenta, M.

doi:10.1016/j.astropartphys.2010.10.002

Cited by 45 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…The shape of the longitudinal energy-deposit profiles of air showers at ultra-high energies is, to a good approximation, universal, i.e., it does not depend on the primaryparticle type or details of the first interaction [77]. Therefore, after marginalizing over the distances to the detector and the arrival directions of the events, the acceptance depends only on X max and the calorimetric energy, but not on the primary mass or hadronic interaction model.…”

Section: Final Data Setmentioning

confidence: 99%

Depth of maximum of air-shower profiles at the Pierre Auger Observatory. I. Measurements at energies above1017.8 eV

Aab¹,

Abreu²,

Aglietta³

et al. 2014

Phys. Rev. D

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363

316

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We report a study of the distributions of the depth of maximum, Xmax, of extensive air-shower profiles with energies above 10 17.8 eV as observed with the fluorescence telescopes of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The analysis method for selecting a data sample with minimal sampling bias is described in detail as well as the experimental cross-checks and systematic uncertainties. Furthermore, we discuss the detector acceptance and the resolution of the Xmax measurement and provide parameterizations thereof as a function of energy. The energy dependence of the mean and standard 4 deviation of the Xmax-distributions are compared to air-shower simulations for different nuclear primaries and interpreted in terms of the mean and variance of the logarithmic mass distribution at the top of the atmosphere.

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Section: Final Data Setmentioning

confidence: 99%

Depth of maximum of air-shower profiles at the Pierre Auger Observatory. I. Measurements at energies above1017.8 eV

Aab¹,

Abreu²,

Aglietta³

et al. 2014

Phys. Rev. D

Self Cite

363

316

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…All the these function usually contain parameters which are not independent of each other [14]. Recently new less dependent parameters for the Gaisser-Hillas and the Gaussian in Age functions were constructed [14,15]. By introducing the parameter µ = y c ≡ n c ln 2, the expressions for the shower profile the espression for the shower profile can be written by means of a single parameter.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intermediate models for longitudinal profiles of cosmic showers

Montanus

2012

Astroparticle Physics

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Cosmic rays impacting on the atmosphere cause particle-showers. Several descriptions exist for the evolution of the shower size along the atmospheric depth. The well known functions for shower profiles, Greisen, Gaisser-Hillas and 'Gaussian in Age', are intimately connected in that they all are approximate solutions of versions of the Rossi and Greisen diffusion equations. The mathematical connection will be demonstrated by means of two simple models for the longitudinal electromagnetic shower profile. Both models can be regarded either as a generalization of the Heitler model or as a simplification of the diffusion model of Rossi and Greisen. These models are far closer to reality than the Heitler model, while they are not as close to reality as the model of Rossi and Greisen. Therefore, they will be referred to as intermediate models. For each intermediate model the evolution of the shower is governed by either a single differential equation or a single integro-differential equation. The approximate solution of the differential equation is a Gaisser-Hillas function and can be adjusted such that it almost matches the Greisen profile. The approximate solution of the integro-differential equation is a 'Gaussian in Age' function. The corresponding profile is, after suitable adjustment, in excellent agreement with the Greisen profile. The analysis also leads to an alternative functional form for the age parameter.

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“…The MPD profile has a steeper growth and is more asymmetric, with respect to the shower maximum. Both profiles were fitted with a Gaisser−Hillas function, written in terms of a Gaussian width L and a parameter R, which is related with the asymmetry of the shower with respect to the shower maximum [9], such that,…”

Section: Universality Of the Longitudinal Profile Shapementioning

confidence: 99%

The interplay between the electromagnetic and the muonic longitudinal profile at production

Conceição

Andringa

Cazón

et al. 2013

EPJ Web of Conferences

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Abstract. The electromagnetic and the muonic longitudinal profile at production enclosure important information about the primary particle and the hadronic interactions that rule the shower development. In fact, these two profiles provide two different insights of the shower: the electromagnetic component gives a measurement of the energy and the strength of the neutral pion channel; while the muonic profile, being intimately related with the charged mesons decays, can be used as a direct probe for the high energy hadronic interactions. In this work we explore the interplay between the electromagnetic and muonic profiles, by analysing their phenomenologic behaviour for different primary masses and energies, zenith angles, and also different high energy hadronic interaction models. We have found that the muonic longitudinal profile at production displays universal features similar to what is known for the electromagnetic one. Moreover, we show that both profiles have new primary mass composition variables which are fairly independent of the high energy hadronic interaction model. Finally we discuss how the information in the electromagnetic and the muonic longitudinal profile can be combined to break the degeneracy between the primary mass composition and the high energy hadronic physics.

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Mass composition and cross-section from the shape of cosmic ray shower longitudinal profiles

Cited by 45 publications

References 15 publications

Depth of maximum of air-shower profiles at the Pierre Auger Observatory. I. Measurements at energies above1017.8 eV

Depth of maximum of air-shower profiles at the Pierre Auger Observatory. I. Measurements at energies above1017.8 eV

Intermediate models for longitudinal profiles of cosmic showers

The interplay between the electromagnetic and the muonic longitudinal profile at production

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