Cosmic Ray Signals from Mini Black Holes in Models with Extra Dimensions: An Analytical/Monte Carlo Study

Abstract

We present a study of the multiplicities, of the lateral distributions and of the ratio of the electromagnetic to the hadronic components in the air showers, generated by the collision in the atmosphere of an incoming high energy cosmic ray and mediated by the formation of a mini black hole, predicted in TeV scale gravity models with large extra dimensions. The analysis is performed via a large scale simulation of the resulting cascades over the entire range ($10^{15}-10^{19}$eV) of ultra high initial energies, for several values of the number of large extra dimensions, for a variety of altitudes of the initial interaction and with the energy losses in the bulk taken into account. The results are compared with a representative of the standard events, namely the shower due to the collision of a primary proton with a nucleon in the atmosphere. Both the multiplicities and the lateral distribution of the showers show important differences between the two cases and, consequently, may be useful for the observational characterization of the events. The electromagnetic/hadronic ratio is strongly fluctuating and, thus, less decisive for the altitudes considered.