2012/03/31 by R. Ulrich, L. Cazon, Lorenzo Cazon · 7 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Air shower #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #Comparability #Cosmic ray #Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena #Detector #Linearity #Neutrino Physics Research #Observable #Optics #Physics #astro-ph.CO #astro-ph.IM
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.astropartphys.2012.09.001
published in Astroparticle Physics 38, 41-45 (Elsevier BV)
arxiv created 2012/09/28 · openalex publication_date 2012/10/01 · arxiv updated 2015/03/19 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The measurement of the average depth of the shower maximum is the most commonly used observable for the possible inference of the primary cosmic-ray mass composition. Currently, different experimental Collaborations process and present their data not in the same way, leading to problems in the comparability and interpretation of the results. Whereas <Xmax> is expected to be proportional to <ln A> in ideal conditions, we demonstrate that the finite field-of-view of fluorescence telescopes plus the attenuation in the atmosphere can introduce a non-linearity into this relation, which is specific for each particular detector setup.