SELFAS2 : radio emission from cosmic ray air showers. Effect of realistic air refractive index

TL;DR

This paper uses the SELFAS2 simulation to predict radio signals from cosmic ray air showers, emphasizing how a realistic air refractive index influences the signal's characteristics.

Contribution

It introduces the impact of a realistic air refractive index on radio emission predictions from extensive air showers using SELFAS2.

Findings

Refractive index significantly affects radio signal amplitude and shape.

The superposition of emission mechanisms is sensitive to atmospheric conditions.

Predictions improve with more realistic atmospheric modeling.

Abstract

Using the simulation code SELFAS2, we present predictions of the radio signal emitted by extensive air showers (EAS) during their development in the atmosphere. The radio emission in the MHz range coming from air showers is the superposition of two mechanisms: the variation of the transverse current due to the systematic opposite drift of electrons and positrons in the Earth's magnetic field and the variation of the charge excess due to the electrons in excess in the shower front. In this paper, we stress particularly the effect of the realistic air refractive index on the radio signal predicted by SELFAS2.