Muon content of ultra-high-energy air showers: Yakutsk data versus simulations

We analyse a sample of 33 extensive air showers (EAS) with estimated primary energies above 2\cdot 10^{19} eV and high-quality muon data recorded by the Yakutsk EAS array. We compare, event-by-event, the observed muon density to that expected from CORSIKA simulations for primary protons and iron, using SIBYLL and EPOS hadronic interaction models. The study suggests the presence of two distinct hadronic components, ``light'' and ``heavy''. Simulations with EPOS are in a good agreement with the expected composition in which the light component corresponds to protons and the heavy component to iron-like nuclei. With SYBILL, simulated muon densities for iron primaries are a factor of \sim 1.5 less than those observed for the heavy component, for the same electromagnetic signal. Assuming two-component proton-iron composition and the EPOS model, the fraction of protons with energies E>10^{19} eV is 0.52^{+0.19}_{-0.20} at 95% confidence level.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures; v2: replaced with journal versio

Neutrinos: the Key to UHE Cosmic Rays

Observations of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays (UHECR) do not uniquely determine both the injection spectrum and the evolution model for UHECR sources - primarily because interactions during propagation obscure the early Universe from direct observation. Detection of neutrinos produced in those same interactions, coupled with UHECR results, would provide a full description of UHECR source properties.Comment: three pages, three figures. corrected typo

A broadband detector based on series YBCO grain boundary Josephson junctions

Modeling of a broadband receiving system based on a meander series of Josephson YBaCuO grain boundary junctions integrated into a log-periodic antenna was carried out. The electromagnetic properties of the system, namely amplitude-frequency characteristic, beam pattern, and fraction of the absorbed power in each Josephson junction were investigated. Based on the obtained results, a numerical simulation of one-dimensional arrays was carried out. The dc characteristics of the detector were calculated, that is, current-voltage characteristic, responsivity, noise, and noise-equivalent power (NEP) for a 250 GHz external signal. The optimal number of junctions to obtain the minimum NEP was found. The use of a series of junctions allows one to increase the responsivity by a factor of 2.5, the NEP value by a factor of 1.5, and the power dynamic range by a factor of 5. For typical YBaCuO Josephson junctions fabricated on a ZrYO bicrystal substrate by magnetron deposition, the following parameters were obtained at a temperature of 77 K: responsivity = 9 kV/W; NEP = 3.10(-13) W/Hz((1/2)); power dynamic range = 1.10(6)