Dependence of geosynchrotron radio emission on the energy and depth of maximum of cosmic ray showers

Abstract

Based on CORSIKA and REAS2 simulations, we investigate the dependence of geosynchrotron radio emission from extensive air showers on the energy of the primary cosmic ray and the depth of the shower maximum. It is found that at a characteristic lateral distance, the amplitude of the bandpass-filtered radio signal is directly proportional to the energy deposited in the atmosphere by the electromagnetic cascade, with an RMS uncertainty due to shower-to-shower fluctuations of less than 3%. In addition, the ratio of this radio amplitude and that at a larger lateral distance is directly related to the atmospheric depth of the shower maximum, with an RMS uncertainty of ~15-20 g cm-2. By measuring these quantities, geosynchrotron radio emission from cosmic ray air showers can be used to infer the energy of the primary particle and the depth of the air shower maximum on a shower-to-shower basis.

version accepted by Astroparticle Physics; slightly changed title and wording; one additional figure

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• The Lateral Distribution Function of Coherent Radio Emission from Extensive Air Showers; Determining the Chemical Composition of Cosmic Rays
• Experimental evidence for the sensitivity of the air-shower radio signal to the longitudinal shower development
• The radio emission pattern of air showers as measured with LOFAR - a tool for the reconstruction of the energy and the shower maximum
• The wavefront of the radio signal emitted by cosmic ray air showers
• First Experimental Characterization of Microwave Emission from Cosmic Ray Air Showers
• The air shower maximum probed by Cherenkov effects from radio emission
• Final results of the LOPES radio interferometer for cosmic-ray air showers
• Radio detection of extensive air showers