Measurement of the Cosmic Ray Energy Spectrum and Composition from 10^{17} to 10^{18.3} eV Using a Hybrid Fluorescence Technique

T. Abu-Zayyad; K. Belov; D. J. Bird; J. Boyer; Z. Cao; M. Catanese; G. F. Chen; R. W. Clay; C. E. Covault; H. Y. Dai; B. R. Dawson; J. W. Elbert; B. E. Fick; L. F. Fortson; J. W. Fowler; K. G. Gibbs; M. A. K. Glasmacher; K. D. Green; Y. Ho; A. Huang; C. C. Jui; M. J. Kidd; D. B. Kieda; B. C. Knapp; S. Ko; C. G. Larsen; W. Lee; E. C. Loh; E. J. Mannel; J. Matthews; J. N. Matthews; B. J. Newport; D. F. Nitz; R. A. Ong; K. M. Simpson; J. D. Smith; D. Sinclair; P. Sokolsky; P. Sommers; C. Song; J. K. K. Tang; S. B. Thomas; J. van der Velde; L. R. Wiencke; C. R. Wilkinson; S. Yoshida; X. Z. Zhang

doi:10.1086/322240

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Measurement of the Cosmic Ray Energy Spectrum and Composition from 10^{17} to 10^{18.3} eV Using a Hybrid Fluorescence Technique

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Abstract

We study the spectrum and average mass composition of cosmic rays with primary energies between 10^{17} eV and 10^{18} eV using a hybrid detector consisting of the High Resolution Fly's Eye (HiRes) prototype and the MIA muon array. Measurements have been made of the change in the depth of shower maximum as a function of energy. A complete Monte Carlo simulation of the detector response and comparisons with shower simulations leads to the conclusion that the cosmic ray intensity is changing f rom a heavier to a lighter composition in this energy range. The spectrum is consistent with earlier Fly's Eye measurements and supports the previously found steepening near 4 \times 10^{17} eV .

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T. Abu-Zayyad, K. Belov, D. J. Bird, J. Boyer, Z. Cao, M. Catanese, G. F. Chen, R. W. Clay, C. E. Covault, H. Y. Dai, B. R. Dawson, J. W. Elbert, B. E. Fick, L. F. Fortson, J. W. Fowler, K. G. Gibbs, M. A. K. Glasmacher, K. D. Green, Y. Ho, A. Huang, C. C. Jui, M. J. Kidd, D. B. Kieda, B. C. Knapp, S. Ko, C. G. Larsen, W. Lee, E. C. Loh, E. J. Mannel, J. Matthews, J. N. Matthews, B. J. Newport, D. F. Nitz, R. A. Ong, K. M. Simpson, J. D. Smith, D. Sinclair, P. Sokolsky, P. Sommers, C. Song, J. K. K. Tang, S. B. Thomas, J. van der Velde, L. R. Wiencke, C. R. Wilkinson, S. Yoshida, X. Z. Zhang. 2000-10-31. Measurement of the Cosmic Ray Energy Spectrum and Composition from 10^{17} to 10^{18.3} eV Using a Hybrid Fluorescence Technique. https://doi.org/10.1086/322240

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