Reconstruction of Air-Shower Parameters Through the Lateral Distribution Function of Ultra-High Energy Particles

TL;DR

This study uses simulations to analyze the lateral distribution function of ultra-high energy cosmic ray air showers, deriving new energy-dependent parameters and validating them against experimental data.

Contribution

It introduces a novel parameterization of the lateral distribution function using a Sigmoidal model for primary energies between 10^17 and 10^19 eV, validated with experimental data.

Findings

Good agreement between simulated and experimental LDF parameters

Derived energy-dependent parameters for primary energies up to 10^19 eV

Validated the Sigmoidal model against AGASA data

Abstract

In this study, the necessity of the simulation study for exploring the interactions of ultra-high energy particles cosmic rays was examined. Different hadronic interaction models such as (SIBYLL, QGSJET, and EPOS) were simulated by using air showers simulation AIRES system (version 19.04.00). Also, the charged particle density of Extensive Air Showers (EAS) was calculated by estimating the lateral distribution function (LDF). Moreover, the LDF simulation of the two primary particles (proton and iron nuclei) was performed, taking into account their primary energies effect and the zenith angle of charged particles that produced in the EAS, within the energy range (10^17-10^19) eV. At extremely high energies (10^17, 10^18, and 10^19) eV, new parameters as a function of the primary energy were obtained by fitting the lateral distribution curves of EAS using Sigmoidal function (Logistic model). Comparison of the results showed a good agreement between the values obtained from the parameterized LDF using Sigmoidal function with experimental results by AGASA EAS observatory for the primaries proton as well iron nuclei, with the production of (electron positron) pair and the charged muons secondary particles at high energy about 10^19 eV and (theta = 0 degree).