Related papers: Percolation and cosmic ray physics above $10^{17}$…
In this work we argue that, in the interpretation of the energy dependence of the depth of the shower maximum and of the muon content in high energy cosmic ray showers ($E > 10^{17}$ eV), other variables besides the composition may play an…
Most QCD models of high energy collisions predict that the inelasticity $K$ is an increasing function of the energy. We argue that, due to percolation of strings, this behaviour will change and, at $\sqrt{s} \simeq 10^4$ GeV, the…
At high gluon or string densities, gluons' saturation or the strong interaction among strings, either forming colour ropes or giving rise to string's percolation, induces a strong suppression in the particle multiplicities produced at high…
The ratio of the muon flux density to charged particle flux density at distances of 300 and 600 m from the shower axis ($\rhom(300)/\rhos(300)$ and $\rhom(600)/\rhos(600)$) is measured. In addition, the energy dependence of $\rhom(1000)$ is…
Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays with energies above ~ 10^18 eV provide an unique window to study hadronic interactions at energies well above those achieved in the largest man-made accelerators. We argue that at those energies string…
We argue that the increase of the ratio baryon/meson due to the presence of strong colour fields and percolation in ultra-high energy hadronic collisions, helps to explain some of the global features of ultra-high energy cosmic ray cascades…
The average mass composition of cosmic rays with primary energies between $10^{17}$eV and $10^{18}$eV has been studied using a hybrid detector consisting of the High Resolution Fly's Eye (HiRes) prototype and the MIA muon array.…
We obtain the horizontal air shower rate from the (EeV) high energy neutrino flux predicted in some topological defect scenarios as the source for the highest energy cosmic rays. Emphasis is made on the different character of the events…
The lateral distribution of muons with threshold energy e ~ 1*sec(theta) GeV have been studied in showers with energy E>=10^17 eV. The data considered in the analysis have been collected from November 2011 to June 2013. Experimental values…
The ratio of the number of muons with a threshold of 1 GeV and charged particles at a distance of 600 m from the axis is analyzed. Air showers with energies above 5 EeV and zenith angles with less than 60 degrees are considered. Comparison…
The production of very high energy muons inside an extensive air shower is observable at $\nu$ telescopes and sensitive to the composition of the primary cosmic ray. Here we discuss five different sources of these muons: pion and kaon…
Cosmic rays are the highest energy particles found in nature. Measurements of the mass composition of cosmic rays between 10^{17} eV and 10^{18} eV are essential to understand whether this energy range is dominated by Galactic or…
In this paper we analyze the energy evolution of the muon content of air showers between $10^{18.4}$ and $10^{19.6}$ eV to be able to determine the most likely mass composition scenario from future number of muons measurements. The energy…
We present new data on Cherenkov light observations obtained during the period 1994-2009, after a modernization of the Yakutsk EAS array. A complex analysis of $\xmax$ and its fluctuations $\sigma(\xmax)$ was performed over a wide energy…
Data of the Grande extension of the KASCADE experiment allows us to study extensive air showers induced by primary cosmic rays with energies above 10^{16} eV. The energy of an event is estimated in terms of the number of charged particles…
Measurements of the Elongation Rate of the depth of shower maximum above 1 EeV are reviewed. There is evidence, from four independent estimates of this rate, made in the two hemispheres using three different techniques, for a decrease in…
Scaling properties of nuclei- and photon-initiated air showers are examined in wide primary energy range ($10^{14}\div 10^{22}$~eV) taking into account Landau-Pomeranchuk-Migdal and geomagnetic field effects. It is shown that the invariance…
A new method of determining Primary Cosmic Ray mass composition is proposed. The method is based on quasi-localization of the integral equation for the Extensive Air Showers spectrum versus the total number of high energy muons ($E_\mu…
We study the influence of shower fluctuations, and the possible presence of different nuclear species in the primary cosmic ray spectrum, on the experimental determination of both shower energy and the proton air inelastic cross section…
The cosmic ray primary composition in the energy range between 10**15 and 10**16 eV, i.e., around the "knee" of the primary spectrum, has been studied through the combined measurements of the EAS-TOP air shower array (2005 m a.s.l., 10**5…