Average shape of longitudinal shower profiles measured at the Pierre Auger Observatory

Abstract

The average profiles of cosmic ray shower development as a function of atmospheric depth are measured for the first time with the Fluorescence Detectors at the Pierre Auger Observatory. The profile shapes are well reproduced by the Gaisser-Hillas parametrization at the 1% level in a 500 g/cm2 interval around the shower maximum, for cosmic rays with log(E/eV) > 17.8. The results are quantified with two shape parameters, measured as a function of energy. The average profiles carry information on the primary cosmic ray and its high energy hadronic interactions. The shape parameters predicted by the commonly used models are compatible with the measured ones within experimental uncertainties. Those uncertainties are dominated by systematics which, at present, prevent a detailed composition analysis.

arXiv commentpresented at the UHECR 2018 (Paris, October 2018)

References in corpus (4)

• The Pierre Auger Cosmic Ray Observatory
• Monte Carlo treatment of hadronic interactions in enhanced Pomeron scheme: I. QGSJET-II model
• Depth of Maximum of Air-Shower Profiles at the Pierre Auger Observatory: Measurements at Energies above 10^17.8 eV
• New facts about muon production in Extended Air Shower simulations

Cited by in corpus (2)

• Report on Tests and Measurements of Hadronic Interaction Properties with Air Showers
• Measurements and tests of hadronic interactions at ultra-high energies with the Pierre Auger Observatory