Münster 2017 – scientific programme

Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help

T: Fachverband Teilchenphysik

T 16: Kosmische Strahlung 2

T 16.3: Talk

Monday, March 27, 2017, 17:20–17:35, H 4

Radio emission and muons of air showers as parameters for mass composition studies at the Pierre Auger Observatory — •Ewa Marlen Holt for the Pierre Auger collaboration — Institut für Kernphysik, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie

Cosmic rays constantly traverse the Earth's atmosphere. They interact with atmospheric molecules, inducing a cascade of secondary particles named extended air showers. The type and energy of the cosmic ray defines the development of the air shower through the atmosphere. Especially in later stages it mainly consists of electrons, positrons and muons. Thereby, the ratio of those particles is a measure of the mass of the cosmic ray primary particle. In Argentina, the Pierre Auger Observatory is dedicated to measure those air showers with different detection techniques. Water-Cherenkov tanks measure all air shower particles reaching ground. In the so-called Infill area, they form AMIGA ('Auger Muons and Infill for the Ground Array') together with buried scintillators measuring purely muons. The electrons and positrons induce emission of radio waves along the shower, which is measured from the radio antennas of AERA ('Auger Engineering Radio Array'). For the first time, all of these detection techniques are combined for mass composition studies.