Study of Cherenkov Light Lateral Distribution Function around the Knee Region in Extensive Air Showers

TL;DR

This study uses simulations to analyze Cherenkov light distribution in extensive air showers, aiding in identifying primary cosmic ray particles and their energies around the knee region.

Contribution

It introduces approximated functions for Cherenkov LDF tailored to different primaries and angles, improving primary particle identification from Cherenkov signals.

Findings

Successful reconstruction of primary particle type and energy from Cherenkov LDF.

Validation of simulation results with Tunka array measurements.

Enhanced methods for primary particle discrimination in cosmic ray studies.

Abstract

The Cherenkov light lateral distribution function (LDF) was simulated with the CORSIKA code, in the energy range (10^13-10^16) eV. This simulation was performed for conditions and configurations of the Tunka EAS Cherenkov array for two primary particles (p and Fe). Basing on the simulated results, many approximated functions are structured for two primary particles and different zenith angles. This allowed us to reconstruct the EAS events, which is, to determine the type and energy of the primary particles that produced showers from signal amplitudes of Cherenkov radiation which measured with Tunka Cherenkov array experiment. Comparison of the calculated LDF of Cherenkov radiation with that measured at the Tunka EAS array shows the ability for identifying of the primary particle that initiated the EAS cascades determining of its primary energy around the knee region of the cosmic ray spectrum.