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A Multi-Component Measurement of the Cosmic Ray Composition Between 1017 eV and 1018 eV

T. Abu-Zayyad, K. Belov, D. J. Bird, J. Boyer, Z. Cao, M. Catanese, G. F. Chen, R. W. Clay, C. E. Covault, J. W. Cronin, 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. C. van der Velde, L. R. Wiencke, C. R. Wilkinson, S. Yoshida, X. Z. Zhang

astro-pharXiv:astro-ph/9911144

Abstract

The average mass composition of cosmic rays with primary energies between 1017eV and 1018eV has been studied 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, Xmax, and in the change in the muon density at a fixed core location, ρμ(600m), as a function of energy. The composition has also been evaluated in terms of the combination of Xmax and ρμ(600m). The results show that the composition is changing from a heavy to lighter mix as the energy increases.

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