Wigner’s “Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics”, Revisited

A famous essay by Wigner is reexamined in view of more recent developments around its topic, together with some remarks on the metaphysical character of its main question about mathematics and natural sciences.     

Determining the primary cosmic ray energy from the total flux of Cherenkov light measured at the Yakutsk EAS array

We present a method for determining the energy of the primary particle that generates an extensive air shower (EAS) of comic rays based on measuring the total flux of Cherenkov light from the shower. Applying this method to Cherenkov light measurements at the Yakutsk EAS array has allowed us to construct the cosmic ray energy spectrum in the range 10¹⁵ ? 3 × 10¹⁹ eV.     

Distribution of Shower Particles as Obtained in the Analysis of a 10 + 13p Shower Event

We present here the analysis of an accelerator produced 10 + 13p shower event observed in nuclear emulsion. The DULLER -WALKER method is applied to obtain the distribution of secondary shower particles, and the particles having the closest log₁₀ tan θ_L values are taken to form a cluster. This cluster formation is also confirmed by the target diagram method. If this cluster is conceived to be a high spin resonance and the secondary pions to be the decay products of this resonance, then the azimuthal integral distribution curve fits fairly well with our experimental data.     

Nuclear-Physics Model of the Knee in the EAS Spectrum

Spectra of the most energetic hadrons in cores of extensive air showers (EAS) were obtained for the first time in the HADRON hybrid experiment in Tien Shan mountains. The spectra in question exhibit a scaling violation, which requires invoking nontrivial effects in order to explain this circumstance. In the present article, unusual data on pp-interaction cross sections from recent experiments at the Large Hadron Collider are analyzed with this aim in view. A comparison with data at lower energies shows that the elastic cross section for pp interaction grows faster than the respective inelastic cross section. It would be natural to expect that a similar or a stronger effect is present in nucleus–nucleus interactions in cosmic rays. A possible change in the properties of nuclear cascades in the Earth’s atmosphere provides the possibility of discussing a new interpretation of the knee in the EAS spectrum and some exotic phenomena observed in cosmic-ray experiments. This interpretation is proposed for the first time. Particular attention is given to unique data from the HADRON hybrid experiment.     

Unreasonable effectiveness of symmetry in physics

We prove that in some reasonable sense, every possible physical law can be reformulated in terms of symmetries. This result explains the well-known success of the group-theoretic approach in physics.     

Behavior of the EAS in late stages of its development

In late stages of the extensive air shower (EAS) development (s ≥ 1.2–1.3) contributions to the electromagnetic component are made not only by hadrons but also partially by muons. In this case, the cascade curves are higher in comparison with the classical theory. If the number of particles is converted into the shower energy, this effect is not small in the energy range E ₀ = 10¹³?10¹⁶ eV. In the numerical simulation of the experiment, it is important to make sure that the energy cutoff thresholds for muons and electrons are close to each other (this is usually ignored).     

Study of the temporal structure of the EAS neutron component

Experimental data on detecting the thermal neutrons that accompany extensive air showers (EAS) over a long period of time (May 2009–April 2010) are presented. The data were obtained by means of prototype for an innovative new array (PRISMA) for EAS study. The workability of this array and its ability to yield completely new information on the hadron and electron components of EAS was checked experimentally over long period of time (in the minimal version of the prototype).     

高能轻子－核碰撞中簇射粒子的研究

在高能轻子－核碰撞中，基于二源发射图象描述了簇射粒子多重数和赝快度分布，计算结果与３－２１０ＧｅＶ的中微子－核乳胶碰撞的实验数据符合．     

Unreasonable postulate in the perturbative approach to quantum gravity

The conventional perturbative approach to quantum gravity is based on the expansion in powers of k, wherek denotes the Einstein gravitational constant. The introduction of a square root is due to the unreasonable postulate that thek0 limit of the gravitational field is ac-number. It is more natural that it is aq-number, which can be determined explicitly by the theory, and then the expansion becomes that in powers ofk but not of k. Thus the nonrenormalizability of Einstein gravity should be completely reconsidered in the light of the new expansion.     

Substructures in the temporal distribution of atmospheric ?erenkov light in EAS

Summary Substructures have been observed in the arrival time distribution of the atmospheric Čerenkov light in extensive air showers. The arrival time can be related to a position in the shower plane, indicating the existence of density variations,i.e. substructures in the lateral distribution of particles. The frequency of substructures is a few %, core distances up to tens of metres have been observed.

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Riassunto Nella distribuzione temporale della luce Čerenkov associata agli sciami estesi atmosferici sono state osservate molteplicità su tempi Δt≈(1÷10) ns. Questo tempo può essere correlato ad una definita posizione nel piano dello sciame, indicando così l'esistenza di variazioni di densità anomale, e quindi di sottostrutture, nella distribuzione laterale degli elettroni. La frequenza di tali anomalie è ≈1%, esse sono state osservate fino a distanze di alcune decine di metri dall'asse dell'EAS.

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Резюме В широких атмосферных ливнях наблюдаются субструктуры в распределении времен прихода атмосферного черенковского излучения. Время прихода может быть связано с положением плоскости ливня, указывая на существование изменений плотности, т.е. субструктур в поперечном распределении частиц. Частота субструктур составляет несколько процентов, наблюдаются расстояния между центрами вплоть до десятков метров.

     

Lateral distribution function of charged particles in EAS near the axis

High-precision measurements of the lateral distribution function (LDF) of charged particles near the axis of extensive air showers (EASes) were performed with the CARPET air shower array of the Baksan Neutrino Observatory for several ranges of N _e , including the knee region. For the sake of comparison with the experiment, calculations for primary protons and iron nuclei were made using the CORSIKA code (the QGSJET01C model of interaction). The measured experimental LDF is compared with our calculations.     

Analysis of the method for studying the zenith-angle EAS distribution

The methodical problems related to analysis of the zenith-angle distribution of extensive air showers with N _e > 10⁷ particles are discussed. The effect of the array geometry on the angle measurement error is considered. Possible distortions of angular distribution due to errors have been calculated. The presence of excess showers detected at large zenith angles is shown.     

怀柔EAS阵列的Monte Carlo研究

用GENAS程序包为怀柔阵列产生了36万Monte Carlo模拟EAS事例,用它们研究了怀柔阵列的性能,确定了最佳的事例判造条件,对实验数据进行了正确性检验,得到了怀柔EAS Size(即簇射在观测面的总荷电粒子数)与初级宇宙线能量之间的转换关系.这项研究表明,怀柔阵列的EAS心位和方向测定精度分别好于3m和2.5°;EASSize测定误差典型值约8%;近垂直簇射的Size(N)与初能(E)的关系为E≈10^10.64N^0.84.     

On Effectiveness of Protocol Creating Maximum Entanglement of Two Charge-Phase Qubits by Cavity Field

We revisit the protocols to create maximally entangled states between two Josephson junction （33） charge phase qubits coupled to a microwave field in a cavity as a quantum data bus. We analyze a novel mechanism of quantum decoherence due to the adiabatic entanglement between qubits and the data bus, the off-resonance microwave field. We show that even if the variable of the data bus can be adiabatically eliminated, the entanglement between the qubits and data bus remains and can decohere the superposition of two-particle state. Fortunately we can construct a decoherencefree subspace of two-dimension to against this adiabatic decoherence. To carry out the analytic study for this decoherence problem, we develop Frohlich transformation to re-derive the effective Hamiltonian of these systems, which is equivalent to that obtained from the adiabatic elimination approach.     

Search for Delayed and Advanced Particles in the Interaction of Ultrahigh-Energy Cosmic Rays with the Earth’s Atmosphere in the Flow of EAS Muons at the MSU EAS Setup

Physics of Atomic Nuclei - The results obtained by studying temporal distributions of particles of energy in excess of 5 GeV in extensive air showers (EAS) of energy above $$10^{15}$$ eV at...     

Simulation of propagating EAS Cherenkov radiation over the ocean surface

We present computing results of the Cherenkov light propagation in the air and water from an extensive air shower (EAS) over the ocean. Limits on the zenith angles of the showers, for which the registration of the flash of reflected photons by the space-detector is possible, are analyzed with consideration for waves on the ocean surface.     

Cluster of scintillation counters for the shower array in the NEVOD EAS project

A shower array for investigations of primary cosmic rays in the knee region in the energy spectrum of extensive air showers is being designed on the basis of the NEVOD experimental complex. Features of the cluster organization of the array and the results of the study of the characteristics of both the basic scintillation counter and the counter cluster, which is the basic element for triggering, detecting, and data collection and treatment systems, are discussed.     

Status of the Yakutsk Air Shower Array and Future Plans

Physics of Atomic Nuclei - The Yakutsk Extensive Air Shower Array has been continuously operating for more than 50 years (since 1970) and up until recently it has been one of world’s largest...