Quantum Black Holes Effects on the Shape of Extensive Air Showers

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential for cosmic ray experiments to detect TeV-scale quantum black holes through unique air shower signatures resulting from their decay, which differ from standard model interactions.

Contribution

It introduces a method to identify black hole decay signatures in extensive air showers caused by ultra high energy cosmic rays.

Findings

Black hole decay signatures produce distinctive air shower shapes.

Significant differences observed between standard model and black hole-induced showers.

Potential to detect quantum black holes with cosmic ray data.

Abstract

We investigate the possibility to find a characteristic TeV scale quantum black holes decay signature in the data recorded by cosmic rays experiments. TeV black holes can be produced via the collisions of ultra high energetic protons (E > $10^18$ eV) with nucleons the from atmosphere. We focus on the case when the black holes decay into two particles moving in the forward direction in the Earth reference frame (back-to-back in the center of mass reference frame) and induce two overlapping showers. When reconstructing both the energy and the shape of the resultant air shower, there is a significant difference between showers induced only via standard model interactions and showers produced via the back-to-back decay of black holes as intermediate states.