Signatures of Precocious Unification in Orbiting Detectors

Abstract

It has been conjectured that the string and unification scales may be substantially lower than previously believed, perhaps a few TeV. In scenarios of this type, orbiting detectors such OWL or AIRWATCH can observe spectacular phenomena at trans-GZK energies. We explore measurable signatures of the hypothesis that trans-GZK air showeres (``anomalous showers'') are originated by strongly interacting neutrinos. The results of a MC simulation of such air showers is described. A distinction between proton induced and ``anomalous'' showers becomes possible once a substantial sample of trans-GZK showers will be available.