An experimental foundation for electromagnetic shower formation in the geomagnetic field

Abstract

At very high energies the Earth magnetic field, although in many other connections conside red rather weak, acts as a strong field on photons and leptons. This paper discusses the i ntimate connection between this effect and the corresponding `strong field effects' observ ed at accessible accelerator energies in aligned single crystals. As such, these effects c onstitute an experimental verification of the theoretical basis used for simulations of th e development of electromagnetic showers in magnetic fields, in particular the geomagnetic field. A short discussion of more general aspects of the shower development in the fields present at different distance scales is included.