Fluorescence emission induced by extensive air showers in dependence on atmospheric conditions

TL;DR

This paper analyzes how atmospheric conditions affect fluorescence emission from extensive air showers, crucial for accurate cosmic ray energy measurements, by compiling data and applying calculations to simulations.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive calculation of fluorescence yield dependence on altitude and atmospheric parameters, improving the accuracy of cosmic ray energy reconstruction.

Findings

Atmospheric conditions significantly influence fluorescence yield.

Reconstructed shower parameters vary with atmospheric profiles.

Compilation of data enhances understanding of fluorescence emission dependence.

Abstract

Charged particles of extensive air showers (EAS), mainly electrons and positrons, initiate the emission of fluorescence light in the Earth's atmosphere. This light provides a calorimetric measurement of the energy of cosmic rays. For reconstructing the primary energy from an observed light track of an EAS, the fluorescence yield in air has to be known in dependence on atmospheric conditions, like air temperature, pressure, and humidity. Several experiments on fluorescence emission have published various sets of data covering different parts of the dependence of the fluorescence yield on atmospheric conditions. Using a compilation of published measurements, a calculation of the fluorescence yield in dependence on altitude is presented. The fluorescence calculation is applied to simulated air showers and different atmospheric profiles to estimate the influence of the atmospheric conditions on the reconstructed shower parameters.