A combined cosmic ray muon spectrometer and high energy air shower array

Conference · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5619344

Cherry, M L; Ayres, D S; Halzen, F

Cosmic rays have been detected at energies in excess of 10/sup 20/ eV, and individual sources have been conclusively identified as intense emitters of gamma rays at energies up to 10/sup 16/ eV. There is clearly a great deal of exciting astrophysics to be learned from such studies, but it has been suggested that there may be particle physics to be learned from the cosmic beam as well. Based in particular on the reports of surprisingly high fluxes of underground muons from the direction of Cygnus X-3 modulated by the known orbital period, there have been several suggestions recently invoking stable supersymmetric particles produced at Cygnus X-3, enhanced muon production from high energy photons, quark matter, and ''cygnets.'' Although the underground muon results have been questioned, it may still be worthwhile to consider the possibility of new physics beyond the standard model with energy scale (G/sub F/)/sup -1/2/ greater than or equal to 0.25 TeV. For example, there have been recent discussions on the experimental signatures to be observed from new high energy photon couplings to matter, exchanges between constituent quarks and leptons, and stable gluinos and photinos mixed in with the cosmic gamma ray flux. We describe here a possible detector to search for such effects. We utilize the possibility that point sources like Cygnus X-3 can be used to provide a directional time-modulated ''tagged'' high energy photon beam.

• Research Organization: Pennsylvania Univ., Philadelphia (USA). Dept. of Physics; Argonne National Lab., IL (USA); Wisconsin Univ., Madison (USA). Dept. of Physics
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 5619344
• Report Number(s): ANL-HEP-CP-86-139; CONF-8606215-46; ON: DE88003057
• Resource Relation: Conference: Summer study on the physics of the superconducting super collider, Snowmass, CO, USA, 23 Jun 1986; Other Information: Paper copy only, copy does not permit microfiche production
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COSMIC MUONS
MUON DETECTION
COSMIC ELECTRONS
COSMIC RADIATION
COSMIC RAY DETECTION
EXTENSIVE AIR SHOWERS
SPECTROMETERS
CHARGED PARTICLE DETECTION
COSMIC SHOWERS
DETECTION
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LEPTONS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MUONS
RADIATION DETECTION
RADIATIONS
SECONDARY COSMIC RADIATION
SHOWERS
640101* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Cosmic Radiation