On evolution of Primary Cosmic Ray mass composition in the energy region $10^{14}-10^{16}$ eV

Abstract

A new method of determining Primary Cosmic Ray mass composition is proposed. The method is based on quasi-localization of the integral equation for the Extensive Air Showers spectrum versus the total number of high energy muons ($E_\mu \geqslant 235$ GeV) and an expansion of the experimentally measured spectrum in spectra of five group of primary nuclei. The cosmic ray mass composition is established in the energy region $10^{14}-10^{16}$ eV. In the region $10^{15}-10^{16}$ eV our analysis points to a lightening of the mass composition from $p+\alpha \simeq 0.54,\ \langle \ln A \rangle \simeq 1.97$ to $p+\alpha \simeq 0.69,\ \langle \ln A \rangle\simeq 1.56$.