Related papers: Nitrogen fluorescence in air for observing extensi…
In this paper, we will discuss the prospects of deducing the proton-air cross section from fluorescence telescope measurements of extensive air showers. As it is not possible to observe the point of first interaction $X_{\rm 1}$ directly,…
Ultra-high energy cosmic rays impinge on the atmosphere and induce air shower cascades, in which huge numbers of particles are produced. By travelling through the Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field, these particles create a noticeable…
Extensive air showers are generated through interactions of high-energy cosmic rays impinging the Earth's atmosphere. A new method is described to infer the attenuation of hadrons in air showers. The numbers of electrons and muons,…
We investigate the feasibility of detecting extensive air showers via their geo-synchrotron X-ray emission from high-altitude platforms. Starting from first principles, we derive a differential expression for the number of emitted photons…
Spatial distributions of energy deposited by an extensive air shower in the atmosphere through ionization, as obtained from the CORSIKA simulation program, are used to find the fluorescence light distribution in the optical image of the…
Space-based experiments, either orbiting the Earth or from scientific balloon altitudes, measure high-energy cosmic rays by measuring from above the atmosphere the optical and radio signals generated by extensive air showers (EAS). These…
The development of extensive air showers at extreme energies is studied using a simulation model much simpler and cruder, but also more transparent and flexible, than existing sophisticated codes. Evidence for its satisfactory performance…
Air shower simulation programs are essential tools for the analysis of data from cosmic ray experiments and for planning the layout of new detectors. They are used to estimate the energy and mass of the primary particle. Unfortunately the…
We study the dependence of extensive air shower development on the first hadronic interactions at ultra-high energies occurring in the startup phase of the air shower cascade. The interpretation of standard air shower observables depends on…
One of the possible consequences of the existence of extra degrees of freedom beyond the electroweak scale is the increase of neutrino-nucleon cross sections ($\sigma_{\nu N}$) beyond Standard Model predictions. At ultra-high energies this…
Major uncertainties in the fluorescence energy measurement come from the precision of various atmospheric transmission, air Cerenkov subtraction, light multiple-scattering and cloud corrections. The Auger program for atmospheric monitoring,…
In this article, I will review how observations performed with extensive air showers are being used to probe hadronic interactions at high energy. I will briefly overview the new studies exploring the connection between the dynamics of air…
We describe the analysis of longitudinal air shower profiles as measured by the fluorescence detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory and present the measurement of the depth of maximum of extensive air showers, Xmax, with energies >10^18…
Accurate measurements of atmospheric flows at meter-scale resolution are essential for a broad range of sustainability applications, including optimal design of wind and solar farms, safe and efficient urban air mobility, monitoring of…
The increasing availability of high-power Yb-based ultrafast laser-amplifier systems has opened the possibility of air filamentation at high repetition rates >1 kHz. In this new regime, accumulation effects cannot be ruled out, therefore,…
Air fluorescence detectors measure the energy of ultra-high energy cosmic rays by collecting fluorescence light emitted from nitrogen molecules along the extensive air shower cascade. To ensure a reliable energy determination, the light…
Very high energy cosmic rays are typically studied by measuring extensive air showers formed by secondary particles produced in collisions with air nuclei. The indirect character of the measurement makes the physics interpretation of cosmic…
We present a study about the possibility to detect neutrino induced extensive air showers at the Pierre Auger Observatory. The Monte Carlo simulations performed take into account the details of the neutrino propagation inside the Earth, the…
The atmospheric aerosol monitoring system of the Pierre Auger Observatory has been operating smoothly since 2004. Two laser facilities (Central Laser Facility, CLF and eXtreme Laser Facility, XLF) fire sets of 50 shots four times per hour…
A precise understanding of the radio emission from extensive air showers is of fundamental importance for the design of cosmic ray radio detectors as well as the analysis and interpretation of their data. In recent years, tremendous…