Prospects for measuring the longitudinal particle distribution of cosmic-ray air showers with SKA

Corstanje A, Buitink S, Bhavani J, Desmet M, Falcke H, Hare BM, Hörandel JR, Huege T, Karasthatis N, Krampah GK, Mitra P, Mulrey K, Nelles A, Nivedita K, Pandya H, Rachen JP, Scholten O, Thoudam S, Trinh G, ter Veen S (2023)

Publication Type: Conference contribution

Publication year: 2023

Journal

PoS - Proceedings of Science SISSA

Publisher: Sissa Medialab Srl

Book Volume: 424

Conference Proceedings Title: Proceedings of Science

Event location: Santiago de Compostela, ESP

Abstract

We explore the possibilities of measuring the longitudinal profile of individual air showers beyond Xmax when using very dense radio arrays such as SKA. The low-frequency part of the Square Kilometre Array, to be built in Australia, features an enormous antenna density of about 50,000 antennas in the inner core region of radius 500 m, with a frequency band from 50 to 350 MHz. From CoREAS simulations, a SKA-Low antenna model plus noise contributions, and adapted LOFAR analysis scripts, we obtain a resolution in the shower maximum Xmax and energy that is considerably better than at LOFAR. Already from this setup, we show that at least one additional parameter of the longitudinal profile can be measured. This would improve mass composition analysis by measuring an additional composition-dependent quantity. Moreover, it would offer an opportunity to discriminate between the different predictions of hadronic interaction models, hence contributing to hadronic physics at energy levels beyond man-made accelerators.

Involved external institutions

Khalifa University of Science, Technology & Research (KUSTAR) / جامعة خليفة AE United Arab Emirates (AE) Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) BE Belgium (BE) Radboud University Nijmegen NL Netherlands (NL) Kapteyn Astronomical Institute NL Netherlands (NL) Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) DE Germany (DE) Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY DE Germany (DE) Astron NL Netherlands (NL) Can Tho University / Trường Đại học Cần Thơ VN Viet Nam (VN)

How to cite

APA:

Corstanje, A., Buitink, S., Bhavani, J., Desmet, M., Falcke, H., Hare, B.M.,... ter Veen, S. (2023). Prospects for measuring the longitudinal particle distribution of cosmic-ray air showers with SKA. In Proceedings of Science. Santiago de Compostela, ESP: Sissa Medialab Srl.

MLA:

Corstanje, A., et al. "Prospects for measuring the longitudinal particle distribution of cosmic-ray air showers with SKA." Proceedings of the 9th International Workshop on Acoustic and Radio EeV Neutrino Detection Activities, ARENA 2022, Santiago de Compostela, ESP Sissa Medialab Srl, 2023.

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