Using the time structure of extensive air showers for cosmic ray mass discrimination

Document Type : Full length research Paper

Authors

Faculty of Physics, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran

Abstract

In this work, using CORSIKA simulation code with QGSJETII04 and GHEISHA2002d as high and low energy interaction models respectively, proton and iron cosmic ray primaries with 1017 eV energy and 20-45o zenith angle are simulated at the Tehran observation level (1200m above sea level). By using azimuth angle, arrival time and local coordinates of the muon and electron secondaries, rise times of received pulses are calculated. By investigating on the rise time as a function of the distance to the Shower Core for different azimuth angle, It is shown that there is an azimuthal asymmetry in the rise time distribution which can be used for mass discrimination of primary cosmic rays.

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