ULTRA-HIGH-ENERGY NUCLEAR INTERACTIONS AND EXTENSIVE AIR SHOWERS

Journal Article · Tue Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1963 · Proc. Phys. Soc. (London)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0370-1328/82/4/304· OSTI ID:4152975

Glencross, W M

The kink in the size spectrum of extensive air showers occurs at a similar size at all altitudes, although shower absorption measurements indicate that there is an attenuation of particle numbers with depth. It follows that the cause cannot be the shape of the primary energy spectrum, but must lie in the properties of nuclear interactions. A model in which the elasticity of nuclear interactions increases from about 0.5 to 0.7 as the interaction energy becomes greater than 5x 10/sup 13/ ev is proposed. The mean energy of the secondary pions is also supposed to increase. As a result, in small showers the individual electronphoton cascades are short, and large fluctuations in development can occur, whereas for large showers the fluctuations are small. The model is shown to be consistent with most of the experimental evidence, including the size spectrum kink, a decrease in the degree of fluctuation in certain measurements as shower size increases, and a rapid change in the properties of the shower core. (auth)

• Research Organization: Imperial Coll. of Science and Tech., London
• NSA Number: NSA-18-002560
• OSTI ID: 4152975
• Journal Information: Proc. Phys. Soc. (London), Journal Name: Proc. Phys. Soc. (London) Vol. Vol: 82
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ABSORPTION
ATMOSPHERE
COSMIC RADIATION
DISTRIBUTION
ELECTRONS
ENERGY
ENERGY RANGE
EXTENSIVE AIR SHOWERS
INTERACTIONS
NUCLEONS
PHOTONS
PHYSICS
PIONS
PRODUCTION
SCATTERING
SHOWERS
TEV RANGE