Studying the mass sensitivity of air-shower observables using simulated cosmic rays
Using CORSIKA simulations, we investigate the mass sensitivity of cosmic-ray air-shower observables for sites at the South Pole and Malargüe, Argentina, the respective locations of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the Pierre Auger Observatory. Exact knowledge of observables from air-shower simul...
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ftubkarlsruhe:oai:EVASTAR-Karlsruhe.de:1000169499 2024-04-28T08:38:55+00:00 Studying the mass sensitivity of air-shower observables using simulated cosmic rays Flaggs, Benjamin Coleman, Alan Schröder, Frank G. 2024-03-22 application/pdf https://publikationen.bibliothek.kit.edu/1000169499 https://publikationen.bibliothek.kit.edu/1000169499/152516797 https://doi.org/10.5445/IR/1000169499 eng eng American Physical Society info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/001174872400006 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1103/PhysRevD.109.042002 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/issn/2470-0010 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/issn/2470-0029 https://publikationen.bibliothek.kit.edu/1000169499 https://publikationen.bibliothek.kit.edu/1000169499/152516797 https://doi.org/10.5445/IR/1000169499 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.de info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Physical Review D, 109 (4), Art.-Nr.: 042002 ISSN: 2470-0010, 2470-0029 ddc:530 Physics info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/530 doc-type:article Text info:eu-repo/semantics/article article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2024 ftubkarlsruhe https://doi.org/10.5445/IR/100016949910.1103/PhysRevD.109.042002 2024-04-04T14:36:35Z Using CORSIKA simulations, we investigate the mass sensitivity of cosmic-ray air-shower observables for sites at the South Pole and Malargüe, Argentina, the respective locations of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the Pierre Auger Observatory. Exact knowledge of observables from air-shower simulations was used to study the event-by-event mass separation between proton, helium, oxygen, and iron primary cosmic rays with a Fisher linear discriminant analysis. Dependencies on the observation site as well as the energy and zenith angle of the primary particle were studied in the ranges from 10 $^{16.0}$–10$^{18.5}$ eV and 0° to 60°; they are mostly weak and do not change the qualitative results. Promising proton-iron mass separation is achieved using combined knowledge of all studied observables, also when typical reconstruction uncertainties are accounted for. However, even with exact measurements, event-by-event separation of intermediate-mass nuclei is challenging and better methods than the Fisher discriminant and/or the inclusion of additional observables will be needed. As an individual observable, high-energy muons (> 500 GeV) provide the best event-by-event mass discrimination, but the combination of muons of any energy and X$_{max}$ provides already a high event-by-event separation between proton-iron primaries at both sites. We also confirm that the asymmetry and width parameters of the air-shower longitudinal profile, R and L, are mass sensitive. Only R seems to be suitable for event-by-event mass separation, but L can potentially be used to statistically determine the proton-helium ratio. Overall, our results motivate the coincident measurement of several air-shower observables, including at least X$_{max}$ and the sizes of the muonic and electromagnetic shower components, for the next generation of air-shower experiments. Article in Journal/Newspaper South pole KITopen (Karlsruhe Institute of Technologie) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
KITopen (Karlsruhe Institute of Technologie) |
op_collection_id |
ftubkarlsruhe |
language |
English |
topic |
ddc:530 Physics info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/530 |
spellingShingle |
ddc:530 Physics info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/530 Flaggs, Benjamin Coleman, Alan Schröder, Frank G. Studying the mass sensitivity of air-shower observables using simulated cosmic rays |
topic_facet |
ddc:530 Physics info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/530 |
description |
Using CORSIKA simulations, we investigate the mass sensitivity of cosmic-ray air-shower observables for sites at the South Pole and Malargüe, Argentina, the respective locations of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the Pierre Auger Observatory. Exact knowledge of observables from air-shower simulations was used to study the event-by-event mass separation between proton, helium, oxygen, and iron primary cosmic rays with a Fisher linear discriminant analysis. Dependencies on the observation site as well as the energy and zenith angle of the primary particle were studied in the ranges from 10 $^{16.0}$–10$^{18.5}$ eV and 0° to 60°; they are mostly weak and do not change the qualitative results. Promising proton-iron mass separation is achieved using combined knowledge of all studied observables, also when typical reconstruction uncertainties are accounted for. However, even with exact measurements, event-by-event separation of intermediate-mass nuclei is challenging and better methods than the Fisher discriminant and/or the inclusion of additional observables will be needed. As an individual observable, high-energy muons (> 500 GeV) provide the best event-by-event mass discrimination, but the combination of muons of any energy and X$_{max}$ provides already a high event-by-event separation between proton-iron primaries at both sites. We also confirm that the asymmetry and width parameters of the air-shower longitudinal profile, R and L, are mass sensitive. Only R seems to be suitable for event-by-event mass separation, but L can potentially be used to statistically determine the proton-helium ratio. Overall, our results motivate the coincident measurement of several air-shower observables, including at least X$_{max}$ and the sizes of the muonic and electromagnetic shower components, for the next generation of air-shower experiments. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Flaggs, Benjamin Coleman, Alan Schröder, Frank G. |
author_facet |
Flaggs, Benjamin Coleman, Alan Schröder, Frank G. |
author_sort |
Flaggs, Benjamin |
title |
Studying the mass sensitivity of air-shower observables using simulated cosmic rays |
title_short |
Studying the mass sensitivity of air-shower observables using simulated cosmic rays |
title_full |
Studying the mass sensitivity of air-shower observables using simulated cosmic rays |
title_fullStr |
Studying the mass sensitivity of air-shower observables using simulated cosmic rays |
title_full_unstemmed |
Studying the mass sensitivity of air-shower observables using simulated cosmic rays |
title_sort |
studying the mass sensitivity of air-shower observables using simulated cosmic rays |
publisher |
American Physical Society |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
https://publikationen.bibliothek.kit.edu/1000169499 https://publikationen.bibliothek.kit.edu/1000169499/152516797 https://doi.org/10.5445/IR/1000169499 |
genre |
South pole |
genre_facet |
South pole |
op_source |
Physical Review D, 109 (4), Art.-Nr.: 042002 ISSN: 2470-0010, 2470-0029 |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/001174872400006 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1103/PhysRevD.109.042002 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/issn/2470-0010 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/issn/2470-0029 https://publikationen.bibliothek.kit.edu/1000169499 https://publikationen.bibliothek.kit.edu/1000169499/152516797 https://doi.org/10.5445/IR/1000169499 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.de info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5445/IR/100016949910.1103/PhysRevD.109.042002 |
_version_ |
1797570180741595136 |