Mass composition of cosmic rays above 0.1 EeV by the Yakutsk array data

Abstract

The paper presents the results of the longitudinal development of extensive air showers (X${}_{max}$) of ultra-high energies and mass composition of cosmic rays. The measurements of X${}_{max}$ are based on data from observations of the Cherenkov radiation at the Yakutsk array for the period 1974-2014. The cascade curves of individual showers and the depth of maximum X${}_{max}$ were reconstructed over the energy range 10${}^{16}$-5.7$\cdot$10${}^{19}$ eV. It is shown that the displacement rate of the parameter dX${}_{max}$ / dE in the atmosphere is nonlinear and depends on the energy. Such a feature indicates a change in mass composition, which is confirmed by fluctuations of X${}_{max}$ in this energy region. The composition of cosmic rays was determined by interpolation using the QGSJetII-04 model.

arXiv comment12 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables, Accepted for publication in Journal of Advances in Space Research

References in corpus (18)

• EPOS LHC : test of collective hadronization with LHC data
• Monte Carlo treatment of hadronic interactions in enhanced Pomeron scheme: I. QGSJET-II model
• On astrophysical solution to ultra high energy cosmic rays
• Indications of Proton-Dominated Cosmic Ray Composition above 1.6 EeV
• A large light-mass component of cosmic rays at 10^{17} - 10^{17.5} eV from radio observations
• Depth of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Ray Induced Air Shower Maxima Measured by the Telescope Array Black Rock and Long Ridge FADC Fluorescence Detectors and Surface Array in Hybrid Mode
• The Cosmic-Ray Energy Spectrum between 2 PeV and 2 EeV Observed with the TALE detector in monocular mode
• Universality of electron distributions in high-energy air showers - description of Cherenkov light production
• Measuring extensive air showers with Cherenkov light detectors of the Yakutsk array: The energy spectrum of cosmic rays
• Determination of the calorimetric energy in extensive air showers
• Mass composition of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays with the Telescope Array Surface Detector Data
• A review of experimental results at the knee
• The depth of maximum shower development and its fluctuations: cosmic ray mass composition at E_0 >= 10^17 eV
• Wide field-of-view Cherenkov telescope for the detection of cosmic rays in coincidence with the Yakutsk extensive air shower array
• Radio emission of air showers with extremely high energy measured by the Yakutsk radio array
• Universality of electron distributions in extensive air showers
• The non-linearity between <ln A> and <Xmax> induced by the acceptance of fluorescence telescopes
• Influence of Primary Cosmic Radiation Mass Composition on the Estimation of Eas Energy

Cited by in corpus (11)

• Ultra-High-Energy Cosmic Rays: The Intersection of the Cosmic and Energy Frontiers
• Further Evidence for an Increase of the Mean Mass of the Highest-Energy Cosmic-Rays with Energy
• Determination of the Cosmic-Ray Chemical Composition: Open Issues and Prospects
• Mass composition of cosmic rays determined by muon fraction with ${\epsilon }_{thr.}\ge$ 1 GeV in air showers with energy greater than 5 EeV
• Muon puzzle in ultra-high energy EASs according to Yakutsk array and Auger experiment data
• Status of the Yakutsk air shower array and future plans
• Search for a diffuse flux of photons with energies above tens of PeV at the Pierre Auger Observatory
• In-ice Askaryan Emission from Air Showers: Implications for Radio Neutrino Detectors
• A Brief History of the Study of High Energy Cosmic Rays using Arrays of Surface Detectors
• Measuring temporal characteristics of the Cherenkov radiation signal from extensive air showers of cosmic rays with a wide field-of-view telescope addendum to the Yakutsk array
• Cosmic ray mass composition measurement in the energy range from $10^{16.5}$ eV to $10^{18.5}$ eV observed with the TALE hybrid detector