Depth of maximum of air-shower profiles at the Pierre Auger Observatory. I. Measurements at energies above 10(17.8) eV

作者：Aab A^*; Abreu P; Aglietta M; Ahn E J; Al Samarai I; Albuquerque I F M; Allekotte I; Allen J; Allison P; Almela A; Alvarez Castillo J; Alvarez Muniz J; Batista R Alves; Ambrosio M; Aminaei A; Anchordoqui L; Andringa S; Aramo C; Aranda V M; Arqueros F; Asorey H; Assis P; Aublin J; Ave M; Avenier M; Avila G; Awal N; Badescu A M; Barber K B; Baeuml J; Baus C; Beatty J J; Becker K H; Bellido J A; Berat C; Bertaina M E

来源：Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology, 2014, 90(12): 122005.

DOI：10.1103/PhysRevD.90.122005

We report a study of the distributions of the depth of maximum, X-max, of extensive air-shower profiles with energies above 10(17.8) eV as observed with the fluorescence telescopes of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The analysis method for selecting a data sample with minimal sampling bias is described in detail as well as the experimental cross-checks and systematic uncertainties. Furthermore, we discuss the detector acceptance and the resolution of the X-max measurement and provide parametrizations thereof as a function of energy. The energy dependence of the mean and standard deviation of the X-max distributions are compared to air-shower simulations for different nuclear primaries and interpreted in terms of the mean and variance of the logarithmic mass distribution at the top of the atmosphere.

• 出版日期2014-12-31
• 单位东北大学