Evidence for Changing of Cosmic Ray Composition between 10**17-eV and 10**18-eV from Multicomponent Measurements

Collaborations
Nov, 1999
6 pages
Published in:
  • Phys.Rev.Lett. 84 (2000) 4276-4279
e-Print:
Experiments:

Citations per year

19992005201120172023051015
Abstract: (arXiv)
The average mass composition of cosmic rays with primary energies between 101710^{17}eV and 101810^{18}eV has been studied using a hybrid detector consisting of the High Resolution Fly's Eye (HiRes) prototype and the MIA muon array. Measurements have been made of the change in the depth of shower maximum, XmaxX_{max}, and in the change in the muon density at a fixed core location, ρμ(600m)\rho_\mu(600m), as a function of energy. The composition has also been evaluated in terms of the combination of XmaxX_{max} and ρμ(600m)\rho_\mu(600m). The results show that the composition is changing from a heavy to lighter mix as the energy increases.
Note:
  • 14 pages including 3 figures in revtex epsf style, submited to PRL
  • 96.40.De
  • 96.40.Pq
  • 98.70.Sa
  • 95.55.Vj
  • cosmic radiation: primary
  • elements: cosmic radiation
  • energy dependence
  • showers: air
  • showers: spatial distribution
  • muon: cosmic radiation