Estimation of the number of counts on a particle counter detector with full time resolution

TL;DR

This paper introduces a comprehensive method for accurately estimating particle counts in segmented detectors with full time resolution, accounting for unresolved particles and dead time effects, demonstrated on muon detection in cosmic ray observatories.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel counting method that accurately estimates particle numbers with full time resolution, applicable to existing detectors like the Pierre Auger Observatory.

Findings

Method shows little bias in particle count estimation.

Provides time-resolved particle number estimates at single time-bin resolution.

Effective for reconstructing cosmic ray parameters related to particle mass.

Abstract

We present a general method for estimating the number of particles impinging on a segmented counter or, in general, on a counter with sub-units. We account for unresolved particles, i.e., the effect of two or more particles hitting the same sub-unit almost simultaneously. To achieve full time resolution we account for the dead time that occurs after the first time-bin of a particle signal. This general counting method can be applied to counting muons in existing detectors like the Underground Muon Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. We therefore use the latter as a study case to test the performance of our method and to compare it to other methods from literature. Our method proves to perform with little bias, and also provides an estimate of the number of particles as a function of time (as seen by the detector) to a single time-bin resolution. In this context, the new method can be useful for reconstructing parameters sensitive to cosmic ray mass, which are key to unveiling the origin of cosmic rays.