The Air-Fluorescence Yield

Abstract

Detection of the air-fluorescence radiation induced by the charged particles of extensive air showers is a well-established technique for the study of ultra-high energy cosmic rays. Fluorescence telescopes provide a nearly calorimetric measure of the primary energy. Presently the main source of systematic uncertainties comes from our limited accuracy in the fluorescence yield, that is, the number of fluorescence photons emitted per unit of energy deposited in the atmosphere by the shower particles. In this paper the current status of our knowledge on the fluorescence yield both experimental an theoretical will be discussed.

6 pages, 3 figures. 43rd Rencontres de Moriond - Electroweak Interactions and Unified Theories, La Thuile, Italie, 1-8 March 2008

References in corpus (3)

• Air Fluorescence Relevant for Cosmic-Ray Detection - Summary of the 5th Fluorescence Workshop, El Escorial 2007
• Temperature and Humidity Dependence of Air Fluorescence Yield measured by AIRFLY
• Improved model for the analysis of air fluorescence induced by electrons

Cited by in corpus (3)

• Comparison of available measurements of the absolute fluorescence yield
• The impact of the air-fluorescence yield on the reconstructed shower parameters of ultra-high energy cosmic rays
• Comparison of available measurements of the absolute air-fluorescence yield and determination of its global average value