Enhancement of the Yakutsk array by atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes to study cosmic rays above 101510^{15} eV

The aim of the Yakutsk array enhancement project is to create an instrument to study the highest-energy galactic cosmic rays (CRs) -- their sources, energy spectrum, and mass composition. Additionally, there will be unique capabilities for investigations in the transition region between galactic and extragalactic components of CRs. Using the well-developed imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope technique adapted to the energy region $E>10^{15}$ eV, we plan to measure the longitudinal structure parameters of the shower, e.g., angular and temporal distributions of the Cherenkov signal related to $X_{max}$ and the mass composition of CRs. The main advantages of the Yakutsk array, such as its multi-component measurements of extensive air showers, and model-independent CR energy estimation based on Cherenkov light measurements, will be inherited by the instrument to be created.Comment: Proceedings of ECRS-2010, Turku; submitted to ASTRA (Astrophys. Space Sci. Trans

Constraints on the flux of primary cosmic-ray photons at energies E > 10^18 eV from Yakutsk muon data

Comparing the signals measured by the surface and underground scintillator detectors of the Yakutsk Extensive Air Shower Array, we place upper limits on the integral flux and the fraction of primary cosmic-ray photons with energies E > 10^18 eV, E > 2*10^18 eV and E > 4*10^18 eV. The large collected statistics of the showers measured by large-area muon detectors provides a sensitivity to photon fractions < 10^-2, thus achieving precision previously unreachable at ultra-high energies.Comment: journal version, including comparison to Auger results as requested by anonymous refere

All particle energy spectrum of cosmic rays in 10 to the 15th power - 10 to the 20th power eV region

Average estimations of the shower energy components are presented and their sum gives E sub 0 (Rho sub 600) - an average function of the relation of E sub 0 with the shower size parameter Rho sub 600 measured at the Yakutsk extensive air showers (EAS) array. Using this relation to the EAS spectrum obtained at the Akeno and Yakutsk arrays the energy spectrum of the cosmic ray total flux within 15 lg (E sub 0,eV) 20 by the EAS methods is recovered

Kontsevich integral for knots and Vassiliev invariants

We review quantum field theory approach to the knot theory. Using holomorphic gauge we obtain the Kontsevich integral. It is explained how to calculate Vassiliev invariants and coefficients in Kontsevich integral in a combinatorial way which can be programmed on a computer. We discuss experimental results and temporal gauge considerations which lead to representation of Vassiliev invariants in terms of arrow diagrams. Explicit examples and computational results are presented.Comment: 25 pages, 17 figure

Azimuthal modulation of the event rate of cosmic ray extensive air showers by the geomagnetic field

The Earth's magnetic field effect on the azimuthal distribution of extensive air showers (EAS) of cosmic rays has been evaluated using a bulk of the Yakutsk array data. The uniform azimuthal distribution of the EAS event rate is rejected at the significance level 10^(-14). Amplitude of the first harmonics of observed distribution depends on zenith angle as A1=0.2*sin^2(theta) and is almost independent of the primary energy; the phase coincides with the magnetic meridian. Basing upon the value of measured effect, the correction factor has been derived for the particle density depending on a geomagnetic parameter of a shower.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures in ps file

Fluctuations of development maximum depth and nuclear composition of primary cosmic radiation

The extensive air showers (EAS) cascade curves from the Cerenkov light lateral distribution measurements are recovered and the maximum depth fluctuations of the shower development theta x sub m both on the Cerenkov and charged EAS components are defined. At E sub 0 approximates 10 to the 18th power eV the mean content of protons is greater than 85%, and p-air cross section theta sub 0 p-air 750mb

Upper limit on the ultra-high-energy photon flux from AGASA and Yakutsk data

We present the interpretation of the muon and scintillation signals of ultra-high-energy air showers observed by AGASA and Yakutsk extensive air shower array experiments. We consider case-by-case ten highest energy events with known muon content and conclude that at the 95% confidence level (C.L.) none of them was induced by a primary photon. Taking into account statistical fluctuations and differences in the energy estimation of proton and photon primaries, we derive an upper limit of 36% at 95% C.L. on the fraction of primary photons in the cosmic-ray flux above 10^20 eV. This result disfavors the Z-burst and superheavy dark-matter solutions to the GZK-cutoff problem.Comment: revtex, 8 pages, 4 figure

Development, Production and Testing of 4500 Beam Loss Monitors

Beam-loss monitoring (BLM) [1] is a key element in the LHC machine protection. 4250 nitrogen filled ionization chambers (IC) and 350 secondary emission monitors (SEM) have been manufactured and tested at the Institute for High Energy Physics (IHEP) in Protvino, Russia, following their development at CERN. Signal speed and robustness against aging were the main design criteria. Each monitor is permanently sealed inside a stainless-steel cylinder. The quality of the welding was a critical aspect during production. The SEMs are requested to hold a vacuum of $10^{-7}$ bar. Impurity levels from thermal and radiationinduced desorption should remain in the range of parts per million in the ICs. To avoid radiation aging (up to $2·10^{8}$ Gy in 20 years) production of the chambers followed strict UHV requirements. IHEP designed and built the UHV production stand. Due to the required dynamic range of $10^{8}$, the leakage current of the monitors has to stay below 2 pA. Several tests during and after production were performed at IHEP and CERN. A consistently high quality during the whole production period was achieved and the tight production schedule kept at the same time

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