Measuring the angles of muons and electrons in air showers is proposed as a method for studying the primary cosmic-ray mass composition near the knee of the cosmic-ray energy spectrum at a few 10 eV. Conventional tracking detectors at existing air shower arrays could serve this purpose, like the CRT detectors at the HEGRA array. When the average radial muon angles are examined as a function of ...

We have developed and successfully tested two prototypes of detectors of dangerous gases based on wire-type counters operating in air in avalanche mode: one is for radon (Rn) detection whereas the other one is for the detection of gases with an ionization potential less than the air components. Due to the operation in pulse counting mode these prototypes have sensitivities comparable to (in the...

The goal of the Pierre Auger Observatory is to determine the still unknown nature and origin of ultra-high energy cosmic rays. The study of these elusive particles probes astrophysical sites of particle acceleration as well as fundamental interactions at energies unattainable in accelerator facilities. Auger combines two observational techniques, a large surface array and air fluorescence detec...

Measurements are reported of the yield and spectrum of fluorescence, excited by a 28.5 GeV electron beam, in air at a range of pressures of interest to ultra-high energy cosmic ray detectors. The wavelength range was 300 420 nm. System calibration has been performed using Rayleigh scattering of a nitrogen laser beam. In atmospheric pressure dry air at 304 K the yield is 20.8 ± 1.6 photons per MeV.

Background: Estimating dosimetric parameters for small fields under non-reference conditions leads to significant errors if done based on conventional protocols used for large fields in reference conditions. Hence, further correction factors have been introduced to take into account the influence of spectral quality changes when various detectors are used in non-reference conditions at differen...

Future detection of Extensive Air Showers (EAS) produced by Ultra High Energy Cosmic Particles (UHECP) by means of space based uorescence telescopes will open a new window on the universe and allow cosmic ray and neutrino astronomy at a level that is virtually impossible for ground based detectors. In this paper we summarize the results obtained in the context of the EUSO project by means of a ...

Arrival time distributions of EAS muons carry information about the production profile of the EAS muonic component. The measured distributions are affected and distorted by various interwoven effects which arise from the time resolution of the timing detectors, from fluctuations of the reference time and the number of detected muons spanning the arrival time distribution of a single EAS event. ...