Physics
Scientific paper
Aug 1985
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1985icrc....7..280h&link_type=abstract
In NASA. Goddard Space Flight Center 19th Intern. Cosmic Ray Conf., Vol. 7 p 280-283 (SEE N85-35968 24-93)
Physics
Cosmic Ray Showers, Earth Atmosphere, Fluorescence, Photomultiplier Tubes, Scintillation, Cerenkov Radiation, Data Transmission, Detection, Mirrors
Scientific paper
In the interest of exploring the cosmic ray spectrum at energies greater than 10 to the 18th power eV, where flux rates at the Earth's surface drop below 100 yr(-1) km(-2) sr(-1), cosmic ray physicists have been forced to construct ever larger detectors in order to collect useful amounts of data in reasonable lengths of time. At present, the ultimate example of this trend is the Fly's Eye system in Utah, which uses the atmosphere around an array of skyward-looking photomultiplier tubes. The air acts as a scintillator to give detecting areas as large as 5000 square kilometers sr (for highest energy events). This experiment has revealed structure (and a possible cutoff) in the ultra-high energy region above 10 o the 19th power eV. The success of the Fly's Eye experiment provides impetus for continuing the development of larger detectors to make accessible even higher energies. However, due to the rapidly falling flux, a tenfold increase in observable energy would call for a hundredfold increase in the detecting area. But, the cost of expanding the Fly's Eye detecting area will approximately scale linearly with area. It is for these reasons that the authors have proposed a new approach to using the atmosphere as a scintillator; one which will require fewer photomultipliers, less hardware (thus being less extensive), yet will provide position and shower size information.
Bowen Theodore
Halverson P.
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