THE DISTRIBUTION OF ENERGY IN EXTENSIVE AIR SHOWERS AND THE SHOWER SIZE SPECTRUM
Extensive air showers in the size range N = 3 x 10/sup 5/to 4 x 10/sup 6/ were studied using an array of four water tanks, in which the shower particles are detected by the Cerenkov light they produce when passing through the water. The differentisl size spectrum of the showers has a rapid change of slope near N = 6 x 10/sup 5/, the exponent changing from 2.3 plus or minus 0.1 to 3.0 plus or minus 0.15 with increasing N. The cascade multiplication or attenuation of the number of particles as they pass through the depth of water in the tanks is reflected in the amount of Cerenkov light produced, and from this effect an extimate was made of the effective exponent s, of the shower particle integral energy spectrum E/sup -s/; s ranged from O.58 plus or minus 0.06 at less than 3 m from the shower axis, to 1.7 plus or minus 0.3 above 30 m. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Imperial Coll., London
- NSA Number:
- NSA-16-022841
- OSTI ID:
- 4834697
- Journal Information:
- Proc. Phys. Soc. (London), Journal Name: Proc. Phys. Soc. (London) Vol. Vol: 79
- Country of Publication:
- Country unknown/Code not available
- Language:
- English
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