The number of muons measured in hybrid events detected by the Pierre Auger Observatory
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et al.; Institute for Cosmic Ray Research (ICRR) Univeristy of Tokyo; International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP); JPS; Nagoya Convention and Visitors Bureau; Nagoya University
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The number of muons produced in extensive air showers is a reliable proxy for the amount of hadron production that occurs during the shower development. It is, therefore, an important observable in the context of identifying the mass composition of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays. Beyond LHC energies, however, hadronic multiparticle production as it occurs in air showers from ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays, is poorly understood, and currently there is little to no way to directly test it experimentally. In simulations, current models of hadronic interactions are unable to produce the average number of muons that is measured by multiple air-shower experiments. In this work, we estimate the number of muons in vertical hybrid events detected by both the fluorescence and surface detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory above a primary energy of 3 EeV. To reconstruct the signal, we use a model of the water-Cherenkov detector responses that is based on air-shower universality. We take into account the effect of the longitudinal shower development on the lateral distribution of the signal at the ground, as well as the primary energy estimated from the calorimetric energy deposition of the air shower. In this way, we are able to estimate the amount of muons created in vertical showers, relative to expectations from simulated showers using modern hadronic interaction models. © Copyright owned by the author(s) under the terms of the Creative Commons.
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Cerenkov counters, Cosmic ray detectors, Cosmic ray measurement, Electrons, Hadrons, Heavy ions, Negative ions, Neutrons, Particle accelerators, Photons, Positive ions, Air showers, Energy, Extensive air showers, Hadron production, Hadronics, Mass composition, Multiparticle production, Pierre Auger observatory, Primary energies, Ultra high-energy cosmic rays, Cosmology
