New constraints on the mass composition of cosmic rays above 10^17 eV from Volcano Ranch measurements
arXiv:astro-ph/0312463 · doi:10.1016/j.astropartphys.2004.04.009
Abstract
Linsley used the Volcano Ranch array to collect data on the lateral distribution of showers produced by cosmic rays at energies above 10^17 eV. Very precise measurements of the steepness of the lateral distribution function were made on 366 events. The current availability of sophisticated hadronic interaction models has prompted an interpretation of the measurements. In this analysis we use the AIRES Monte Carlo code to generate showers, together with GEANT4 to simulate the detector response to ground particles. The results show that, with the assumption of a bi-modal proton and iron mix, iron is the dominant component of cosmic rays between 5x10^17 and 10^19 eV, assuming that hadronic interactions are well-described by QGSJET at this energy range.
arXiv commentSubmitted to Astropart. Phys
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- The intergalactic propagation of ultra-high energy cosmic ray nuclei
- A new composition-sensitive parameter for Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays
- Very High Energy Cosmic Rays and Their Interactions
- Proton-Air Cross Section and Extensive Air Showers
- Measurements of the Muon Content of UHECR Air Showers with the Pierre Auger Observatory
- Observations of Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays
- Ultra-high energy cosmic rays: from GeV to ZeV
- Effect of multiple reusing of simulated air showers in detector simulations
- A composition dependent energy scale and the determination of the cosmic ray primary mass in the ankle region
- A new surface parameter for composition studies at high energies