EAS Phenomenology and Cosmic Ray Spectrum Ground Based Measurements

Primary cosmic ray energy spectrum around and above 1 PeV is of great interest due to its non-power-law behavior (“knee”) in PeV region found many years ago using the indirect EAS (Extensive Air Shower) method. The method is based on secondary particles measuring on Earth’s surface under a thick atmosphere. Traditionally, people use detectors sensitive to ionization produced mostly by secondary electromagnetic component and therefore any found changes in EAS size spectrum correspond to secondary components, which have to be recalculated to primary spectrum. Recently some new “knees” were claimed by high altitude experiments: at ∼45 TeV for all-particle spectrum (HAWC), for primary protons and helium: at ∼400 TeV (Tibet ASγ) and at ∼700 TeV (ARGO-YBJ) thus widening the “knee” region from ∼0.045 to 5 PeV. The natural explanation of such a strange spectrum behavior in a wide energy range could be found in the EAS phenomenological approach to the knee problem.

     

Ground-based gamma-ray astronomy

Summary This report covers developments in the field of gamma-ray astronomy, essentially in the energy range 300 GeV to 300 TeV, reported at the XXIV International Cosmic-Ray Conference in Rome in 1995. Highlights which receive the main attention are the failure of several experiments to detect TeV photons from several supernova remnants at the level predicted on current models of shock acceleration of cosmic-ray protons, and the detection of a rapidly variable flaring output of TeV photons from two BL Lac objects (Markarian 421 and Markarian 501). Although techniques are now maturing to the extent that different measurements of the flux and spectrum from the Crab Nebula are now converging, unresolved differences remain over the existence of TeV pulses from certain pulsars. However, one well-supported instance of very intense pulsation for an hour from AE Aquarii was presented. The Vela Pulsar was reported as a steady source. Rapporteur talk given at the XXIV International Cosmic-Ray Conference, Rome, August 28–September 8, 1995.     

What should be the spectrum of galactic cosmic rays?

Numerous experimental data on cosmic rays sensitive to the spectrum of primary cosmic rays were analyzed in the energy range E>1 TeV. They proved to be incompatible with the pure power-law spectrum of primary particles. The spectral index of the proton spectrum is derived from the data considered. It was found to be 0.4±0.1 greater than for the nuclei with Z≥2. Therefore, the flux of galactic cosmic rays consisting of protons and nuclei with Z≥2 cannot be described by a unified power law in the energy range 0.1–10³ TeV.     

Muons of very and ultra-high energy cosmic rays

In many cosmic rays experiments at very and ultra-high energies, an excess of muons (including those of very high energy, >100 TeV) is observed that cannot be explained within existing models of hadron interactions. This excess is usually explained in terms of the heavier mass composition of primary cosmic rays. However, the excess over the predicted values even for extremely heavy compositions, and especially the observed excesses of muons with energies of >100 TeV, requires that we consider other possibilities with respect to the generation of muons, including changes in models of hadron interaction.     

Measurement of 10–100 TeV cosmic ray anisotropy at upgraded Carpet-2 installation

The first results obtained during one year of measurements at the upgraded shower Carpet-2 installation at the Baksan Neutrino Observatory of the Institute for Nuclear Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, are presented. The results of calculation of the energy response of the installation are given. The results of data analysis using the standard method and the East-West method are compared. The constraints on amplitudes of harmonics of solar anisotropy for three values of primary energy: E > 12 TeV, E > 40 TeV, and E > 70 TeV, are obtained.     

A Method for Estimation of the Parameters of the Primary Particle of an Extensive Air Shower by a High-Altitude Detector

A method for estimation of the parameters of the primary particle of an extensive air shower (EAS) by a high-altitude detector complex is described. This method was developed as part of the Pamir-XXI project. The results may be useful for other high-altitude projects and the EAS method in general. The specific configurations of optical detectors for Cherenkov EAS radiation and charged-particle detectors, the methods for data processing, and the attainable accuracy of reconstruction of parameters of primary particles (energy, direction, mass/type) are presented. The results primarily cover optical detectors that are suitable for studying EASs from primary nuclei in the range of energies E⁰ = 100 TeV–100 PeV and showers from primary γ-quanta with energies of E_γ ≥ 30 TeV. Grids of charged-particle detectors designed to determine the EAS direction and energy in the E⁰ = 1 PeV–1 EeV range are also considered. The obtained accuracy estimates are the upper limits of the actual experimental accuracies.     

Experimental feature in the primary-proton flux at energies above 10 TeV according to the results of searches for primary particles in nuclear emulsions exposed in the stratosphere (RUNJOB Experiment)

In the RUNJOB experiment, a long-term exposure of x-ray emulsion chambers in the stratosphere from 1995 to 1999 with the aim of studying the composition and spectra of primary cosmic particles in the energy range 10–1000 TeV per nucleon revealed about 50% proton tracks. The remaining events of the proton group did not feature any candidate for a track of a singly charged particle within the search region determined from measurements of the coordinates of background nuclei going close to the sought track. Methodological factors that could explain this experimental observation are considered. A possible physical reason associated with the presence of a neutral component in the flux of primary protons in the energy region above 10 TeV is also analyzed.     

Energy spectrum of cosmic ray muons above 10 TeV according to BUST data

The energy spectrum of cosmic ray muons in the range of several TeV to PeV obtained through the analysis of multiple interactions of muons (the pair meter technique) in the Baksan Underground Scintillation Telescope (BUST) is presented. Results are compared with prior BUST data on the muon energy spectrum measurements and data of other experiments, along with calculations for different muon spectrum models.     

Higgs self-coupling in the fusion channel at the international linear collider

We investigate the Higgs pair production process at the international linear collider (ILC), focusing on the measurement of the trilinear self-coupling of the Higgs boson in the fusion channel. The sensitivity of this measurement is discussed in the Higgs mass range 140–200 GeV at a center-of-mass energy between 1 TeV and 1.5 TeV.      

Lepton Electric Charge Swap at the 10 TeV Energy Scale

We investigate the nature of the dark matter by proposing a mechanism for the breaking of local rotational symmetry between ordinary third family leptons and proposed non-regular leptons at energy scales below 10 TeV. This symmetry breaking mechanism involves electric charge swap between ordinary families of leptons can and produces highly massive non-regular leptons of order 0 （1 TeV） mass unobservable at energy scales below 10 TeV （the scale of LEP Ⅰ, Ⅱ and neutrino oscillation experiments）. Electric charge swap between ordinary families of leptons produces heavy neutral non-regular leptons with order 0 （1 TeV） masses, which may form cold dark matter. The existence of these proposed leptons can be tested once the Large Hadron Collider （LHC） becomes operative at 10 TeV energy-scales. This proposition may have far reaching applications in astrophysics and cosmology.     

Lepton Electric Charge Swap at the 10 TeV Energy Scale

We investigate the nature of the dark matter by proposing a mechanism for the breaking of local rotational symmetry between ordinary third family leptons and proposed non-regular leptons at energy scales below 10 TeV. This symmetry breaking mechanism involves electric charge swap between ordinary families of leptons can and produces highly massive non-regular leptons of order O (1 TeV) mass unobservable at energy scales below 10 TeV (the scale of LEP Ⅰ, Ⅱ and neutrino oscillation experiments). Electric charge swap between ordinary families of leptons produces heavy neutral non-regular leptons with order O (1 TeV) masses, which may form cold dark matter. The existence of these proposed leptons can be tested once the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) becomes operative at 10 TeV energy-scales. This proposition may have far reaching applications in astrophysics and cosmology.     

Cosmic rays of energies in the range 103–105 TeV and higher

Over a period of more than 30 years, the knee in the spectrum of extensive air showers (EAS) generated by cosmic radiation has been explained in two ways: as a consequence of a cusp in the energy spectrum of primary cosmic rays or as a consequence of a change undergone by the process of multiparticle hadron production in the interactions of primary protons with nuclei of air atoms. Investigations at the Tien Shan EAS array confirm a change in the properties of showers generated by protons near the upper boundary of the atmosphere and evince the invariability of the energy spectrum of protons in the energy range 10³–10⁵ TeV.     

A STUDY OF ULTRA-HIGH ENERGY γ-RAYS BY EMULSION CHAMBERS

Ultra-high energy γ-rays have been observed by emulsion chambers exposed at Yunnan Station （3200m, 700g/cm² atmospheric depth）. The integral spectrum, the vertical intensity and the attenuation length in air of the gamma rays in the energy region 2 TeV to 30 TeV are presented. The results of gamma ray families with total observed energies ranging from 5 TeV to 70 TeV are discussed.     

Energy correction for the BGO calorimeter of DAMPE using an electron beam

The DArk Matter Particle Explorer is an orbital indirect dark matter search experiment which measures the spectra of photons,electrons and positrons originating from deep space.The electromagnetic calorimeter(ECAL),made of bismuth germinate(BGO),is one of the key sub-detectors of DAMPE,and is designed for energy measurement with a large dynamic range from 5 GeV to 10 TeV.In this paper,methods for energy correction are discussed,in order to reconstruct the primary energy of the incident electrons.Different methods are chosen for the appropriate energy ranges.The correction results of Geant4 simulation and beam test data(at CERN) are presented.     

Description of pp collisions at LHC energies

The Monte Carlo version of quark-gluon string model is employed to study the multiplicity, rapidity and pr spectra of particles in pp collisions at energies from √s = 200 GeV to 14 TeV. A good quantitative agreement with the experimental data is found in a broad energy range. It means that the general features of ultrarelativistic pp interactions can be well understood in terms of soft- and hard-Pomeron exchanges. Predictions are made for the top LHC energy √s = 14TeV.     

Exploring the LHC medium with direct photons

Heavy-ion collisions will enter a new era with the start of the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC). A first short run with proton-proton collisions at the injection energy of 0.9 TeV will be followed by a longer one with pp collisions at 10 TeV. First Pb-Pb collisions at  TeV will take place in 2009. Three experiments (ALICE, ATLAS, and CMS) will study both pp and Pb-Pb collisions. A selection of results showing the capabilities of the three experiments for the study of the LHC medium with direct photons is presented.     

On the burst activity of the Crab Nebula, as observed by air shower arrays

Recent experiments with the Fermi-LAT and AGILE satellite gamma-ray telescopes, in which bursts of gamma-rays from the Crab Nebula were detected in the energy range of ～100 MeV, have aroused keen interest, if not a sensation. However, data on a possible burst in the Crab Nebula at much higher energies of ～100 TeV were published more than 20 years ago. Characteristics of transient and stationary fluxes of gamma rays from the Crab Nebula in various energy ranges are discussed in this work, and it is shown that the old data obtained at ultra-high energies is reasonably consistent with the latest pattern of the source’s burst activity.     

Will protons become gray at 13 TeV and 100 TeV?

It is shown that the regime of pp-interactions at 7 TeV is a critical one. The LHC data about elastic pp-scattering at 7 and 8 TeV are used to get some information about both elastic and inelastic profiles of pp-collisions. They are discussed in the context of two phenomenological models which intend to describe the high energy pp-data with high accuracy. Some predictions following from these models for an LHC energy of 13 TeV and for an energy of 95 TeV of the newly proposed collider are discussed. It is claimed that the center of the inelastic interaction region will become less dark with an increase of energy albeit very slowly.     

TeV gamma rays from distant BL Lacs and photon–paraphoton kinetic mixing

An effect of a proposed Beyond the Standard Model particle physics process on the energy spectra of distant astrophysical objects is presented. It is suggested that TeV gamma rays from distant BL Lacs may kinetically mix with hypothetical hidden sector paraphotons. The latter can traverse vast distances of space because of only very weak interactions with intervening objects or material. These paraphotons would then reconvert back into photons that have identical characteristics as their originators, and are detected on earth. Laser based photon regeneration experiments test this model of hidden sector physics in the range of parameters that would impact the TeV gamma ray energy spectra arriving from distant BL Lacs.