On the model uncertainties for the predicted muon content of extensive air showers

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Hauptverfasser: Ostapchenko, Sergey, Sigl, Günter
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2024
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author Ostapchenko, Sergey
Sigl, Günter
author_facet Ostapchenko, Sergey
Sigl, Günter
contents Motivated by the excess of the muon content of cosmic ray induced extensive air showers (EAS), relative to EAS modeling, observed by the Pierre Auger Observatory, and by the tension between Auger data and air shower simulations on the maximal muon production depth $X^μ_{\max}$, we investigate the possibility to modify the corresponding EAS simulation results, within the Standard Model of particle physics. We start by specifying the kinematic range for secondary hadron production, which is of relevance for such predictions. We further investigate the impact on the predicted EAS muon number and on $X^μ_{\max}$ of various modifications of the treatment of hadronic interactions, in the framework of the QGSJET-III model, in particular the model calibration to accelerator data, the amount of the "glue" in the pion, and the energy dependence of the pion exchange process. None of the considered modifications of the model allowed us to enhance the EAS muon content by more than 10\%. On the other hand, for the maximal muon production depth, some of the studied modifications of particle production give rise up to $\sim 10$ g/cm$^2$ larger $X^μ_{\max}$ values, which increases the difference with Auger observations.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2404_02085
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle On the model uncertainties for the predicted muon content of extensive air showers
Ostapchenko, Sergey
Sigl, Günter
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Motivated by the excess of the muon content of cosmic ray induced extensive air showers (EAS), relative to EAS modeling, observed by the Pierre Auger Observatory, and by the tension between Auger data and air shower simulations on the maximal muon production depth $X^μ_{\max}$, we investigate the possibility to modify the corresponding EAS simulation results, within the Standard Model of particle physics. We start by specifying the kinematic range for secondary hadron production, which is of relevance for such predictions. We further investigate the impact on the predicted EAS muon number and on $X^μ_{\max}$ of various modifications of the treatment of hadronic interactions, in the framework of the QGSJET-III model, in particular the model calibration to accelerator data, the amount of the "glue" in the pion, and the energy dependence of the pion exchange process. None of the considered modifications of the model allowed us to enhance the EAS muon content by more than 10\%. On the other hand, for the maximal muon production depth, some of the studied modifications of particle production give rise up to $\sim 10$ g/cm$^2$ larger $X^μ_{\max}$ values, which increases the difference with Auger observations.
title On the model uncertainties for the predicted muon content of extensive air showers
topic High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.02085