Pythia 8 and Air Shower Simulations: A Tuning Perspective

TL;DR

This paper explores integrating the Pythia 8 hadronic interaction model into air shower simulations to address discrepancies in muon content observed in cosmic-ray interactions, aiming to improve understanding of high-energy hadronic processes.

Contribution

It introduces the use of Pythia 8, particularly its Angantyr module, into air shower simulations as a novel approach to tackle the Muon Puzzle.

Findings

Pythia 8's Angantyr module shows potential for better hadron-nucleus interaction modeling.

Integration of Pythia 8 could improve muon content predictions in air shower simulations.

The approach offers a new pathway to understand high-energy hadronic interactions.

Abstract

The Pierre Auger Observatory has revealed a significant challenge in air shower physics: a discrepancy between the simulated and observed muon content in cosmic-ray interactions, known as the 'Muon Puzzle'. This issue stems from a lack of understanding of high-energy hadronic interactions. Current state-of-the-art hadronic interaction models fall short, underscoring the need for improvements. In this contribution, we explore the integration of the Pythia 8 hadronic interaction model into air shower simulations. While Pythia 8 is primarily used in Large Hadron Collider experiments, recent advancements in its Angantyr module show promise in better describing hadron-nucleus interactions, making it a valuable tool for addressing the Muon Puzzle.