On the extension of the sensitive area of an extensive air shower surface array

TL;DR

This paper improves the identification of outside EAS cores and combines it with a new reconstruction approach to effectively expand the sensitive area of air shower surface arrays, reducing systematic errors.

Contribution

It optimizes an existing OEAS identification technique and integrates it with a new core reconstruction method to extend the array's effective detection area.

Findings

Enhanced identification of OEASs improves reconstruction accuracy.

Combined method increases the array's sensitive area.

Reduces systematic errors in EAS parameter estimation.

Abstract

A large distance between true and reconstructed core locations of an extensive air shower (EAS) may results in great systematic mis-estimation of EAS parameters. The reconstruction of those EASs whose core locations are outside the boundary of a surface array (outside EAS (OEAS)) results in a large distance of the reconstructed core location from the true one, especially when the true core is far outside the array. Although it may not be mentioned, the identification of OEASs is a necessary and important step in the reconstruction procedure of an EAS. In this paper, an existing technique is optimized for the identification of OEASs. The simultaneous use of this technique and a recently developed approach for reconstructing the core location of an EAS can significantly increase the sensitive area of a surface array.