Radiation of ionization electrons: the key role of their 2-pt function of velocities

TL;DR

This paper explains why molecular Bremsstrahlung radiation from ionization electrons in air showers is too weak for detection, highlighting the importance of the two-point velocity correlation function in the emission process.

Contribution

It introduces a formalism emphasizing the role of the two-point velocity correlation function in the emission of ionization electrons, explaining the suppression of detectable radiation.

Findings

Spectral intensity at ground level is below experimental sensitivity.

Coherent suppression due to destructive interference reduces emission.

MBR cannot be used as a practical detection method for EAS in the near future.

Abstract

Several attempts to detect extensive air showers (EAS) induced by ultra-high energy cosmic rays have been conducted in the last decade based on the molecular Bremsstrahlung radiation (MBR) at GHz frequencies from quasi-elastic collisions of ionisation electrons left in the atmosphere after the passage of the cascade of particles. These attempts have led to the detection of a handful of signals only, all of them forward-directed along the shower axis and hence suggestive of originating from geomagnetic and Askaryan emissions extending into GHz frequencies close to the Cherenkov angle. In this contribution to ARENA2022, the lack of detection of events is explained by the coherent suppression of the MBR in frequency ranges below the collision rate due to the destructive interference impacting the emission amplitude of photons between the successive collisions of the electrons. The spectral intensity at the ground level is shown to be several orders of magnitude below the sensitivity of experimental setups. Consequently the MBR cannot be seen as the basis of a new detection technique of EAS for the next decades. The formalism developed to get at this conclusion allowed the key role of the two-point correlation function of the ionisation electron velocities to be highlighted. This can serve to study the intensity of the re-radiation of these ionization electrons subject to the passage of an incoming coherent wave from a radar transmitter. Some hints on this will be presented.