UHECR primary identification using the lateral profile of muons in EAS

New developments in detector technology allow for a realistic cost of large area surface detectors for cosmic ray air showers, with some limitations on particle identification, energy resolutions, directional information and dynamic range. In this paper, we present a simulation study using CORSIKA to quantify the lateral profile of the muons at ground level, characterized by their energy spectrum and lateral spread, and combine it with the depth at shower maximum (X$_{max}$) of an EAS initiated by a primary at energies $10^{16}$ eV - $10^{19}$ eV. Using different primaries, we show that the combined muon observables and X$_{max}$ can identify the primary in a large fraction of the events, depending on the energy and the detector performance. This study provides important input parameters for the design of a future muon detector for surface array, which will be able to boost the knowledge of primaries and of the QCD interactions in the atmosphere.