X-rays Emission: a novel tool to detect Extensive Air Showers

TL;DR

This paper explores detecting extensive air showers through their geo-synchrotron X-ray emission from high-altitude platforms, proposing a new method for cosmic ray detection in the PeV range.

Contribution

It introduces a first-principles calculation of X-ray emission from air showers and evaluates the feasibility of detecting these emissions from high-altitude detectors.

Findings

Acceptances around 1 m² sr for a 70° detector at 20-30 km altitude.

Estimated event rate of approximately 10 per month.

X-ray geo-synchrotron emission is a promising detection channel.

Abstract

We investigate the feasibility of detecting extensive air showers via their geo-synchrotron X-ray emission from high-altitude platforms. Starting from first principles, we derive a differential expression for the number of emitted photons per unit grammage and photon energy for an ensemble of gyrating shower electrons. The calculation uses noted parameterizations of the electron state variable distributions in the shower to establish a scale for the photon footprint and, further, takes into account the propagation of emitted photons in the atmosphere. The computed fluxes at the position of the detector are used to estimate the detector acceptance and event rate using a bootstrap Monte Carlo procedure. For a 1 m radius and 70{\deg} half-aperture circular detector at an altitude between 20 to 30 km viewing the Earth's limb, we find acceptances at the 1 $\mathrm{m^2 sr}$ level and integral event rates of roughly 10 per month. These results indicate that X-ray geo-synchrotron emission is a promising, complimentary channel for high-altitude indirect cosmic ray detection in the PeV regime.