Reconstruction of Cherenkov radiation signals from extensive air showers of cosmic rays using data of a wide field-of-view telescope

TL;DR

This paper presents a method for reconstructing Cherenkov radiation signals from cosmic ray air showers using a wide field-of-view telescope, confirming known correlations and setting limits on the radiation area.

Contribution

It introduces a signal processing method to reconstruct Cherenkov signals and analyzes their parameters in relation to air shower development.

Findings

Confirmed correlation between Cherenkov signal duration and shower core distance.

Set an upper limit on the Cherenkov radiation area along the EAS axis.

Validated the reconstruction method with observational data.

Abstract

The operation of a wide field-of-view (WFOV) Cherenkov telescope is described. The detection of extensive air showers (EAS) of cosmic rays (CR) is based upon the coincidence with signals from the Yakutsk array. The data acquisition system of the telescope yields signals connected with EAS development parameters: presumably, shower age and position of shower maximum in the atmosphere. Here we describe the method of signal processing used to reconstruct Cherenkov radiation signals induced by CR showers. An analysis of signal parameters results in the confirmation of the known correlation of the duration of the Cherenkov radiation signal with the distance to the shower core. The measured core distance dependence is used to set an upper limit to the dimensions of the area along the EAS axis where the Cherenkov radiation intensity is above half-peak amplitude.