Title
Depth of maximum of air-shower profiles at the Pierre Auger Observatory. I. Measurements at energies above 1017.8eV
Date Issued
31 December 2014
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
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-Muñiz J.
Alves Batista R.
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.
Bäuml J.
Baus C.
Beatty J.J.
Becker K.H.
Bellido J.A.
Berat C.
Bertaina M.E.
Bertou X.
Biermann P.L.
Billoir P.
Blaess S.
Blanco M.
Bleve C.
Blümer H.
Boháčová M.
Boncioli D.
Bonifazi C.
Bonino R.
Borodai N.
Brack J.
Brancus I.
Bridgeman A.
Brogueira P.
Brown W.C.
Buchholz P.
Bueno A.
Buitink S.
Buscemi M.
Caballero-Mora K.S.
Caccianiga B.
Caccianiga L.
Candusso M.
Caramete L.
Caruso R.
Castellina A.
Cataldi G.
Cazon L.
Cester R.
Chavez A.G.
Chiavassa A.
Chinellato J.A.
Chudoba J.
Cilmo M.
Clay R.W.
Cocciolo G.
Colalillo R.
Coleman A.
Collica L.
Coluccia M.R.
Conceição R.
Contreras F.
Cooper M.J.
Cordier A.
Coutu S.
Covault C.E.
Cronin J.
Curutiu A.
Dallier R.
Daniel B.
Dasso S.
Daumiller K.
Dawson B.R.
De Almeida R.M.
De Domenico M.
De Jong S.J.
De Mello Neto J.R.T.
De Mitri I.
De Oliveira J.
De Souza V.
Del Peral L.
Deligny O.
Publisher(s)
American Physical Society
Abstract
We report a study of the distributions of the depth of maximum, Xmax, of extensive air-shower profiles with energies above 1017.8eV 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 Xmax measurement and provide parametrizations thereof as a function of energy. The energy dependence of the mean and standard deviation of the Xmax 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.
Volume
90
Issue
12
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Astronomía
Física atómica, molecular y química
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-84920127011
Source
Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology
ISSN of the container
15507998
Sponsor(s)
Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences 0450696
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus