Search for a simultaneous signal from small transient events in the Pierre Auger Observatory and the Tupi muon telescopes

We present results of a search for a possible signal from small scale solar transient events (such as flares and interplanetary shocks) as well as possible counterparts to Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) observed simultaneously by the Tupi muon telescope Niteroi-Brazil, 22.90S, 43.20W, 3 m above sea level) and the Pierre Auger Observatory surface detectors (Malargue-Argentina, 69.30S, 35.30W, altitude 1400 m). Both cosmic ray experiments are located inside the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) region. Our analysis of several examples shows similarities in the behavior of the counting rate of low energy (above 100 MeV) particles in association with the solar activity (solar flares and interplanetary shocks). We also report an observation by the Tupi experiment of the enhancement of muons at ground level with a significance higher than 8 sigma in the 1-sec binning counting rate (raw data) in close time coincidence (T-184 sec) with the Swift-BAT GRB110928B (trigger=504307). The GRB 110928B coordinates are in the field of view of the vertical Tupi telescope, and the burst was close to the MAXI source J1836-194. The 5-min muon counting rate in the vertical Tupi telescope as well as publicly available data from Auger (15 minutes averages of the scaler rates) show small peaks above the background fluctuations at the time following the Swift-BAT GRB 110928B trigger. In accordance with the long duration trigger, this signal can possibly suggest a long GRB, with a precursor narrow peak at T-184 sec.Comment: 9 pages, 13 figure

Inelasticity Distribution Of Hadron-pb Collisions In The Energy Region Exceeding 1014 Ev From Mountain Cosmic Ray Experiments

The inelasticity distribution of hadron-lead collisions in the energy region exceeding 1014 eV is estimated on the basis of 66 events, induced by cosmic ray hadrons and detected at high mountain altitudes at Pamir (4300 m, 595 g/cm2). The distribution of the best fitting is approximated as g(K)dK=[α(1-K)m1-1 + βKm2-1]dK, where m1=0.5, m2=1.125, α=0.26, β=0.55, giving 〈K〉=0.60. The errors of the parameters are discussed in the text. The distribution is compared with those which are based on theoretical models. ©1999 The American Physical Society.611110Frichter, G.M., Gaisser, T.K., Stanev, T., (1997) Phys. Rev. D, 56, p. 3135Fowler, G.N., Weiner, R.M., Wilk, G., (1985) Phys. Rev. Lett., 55, p. 173Fowler, G.N., Vourdas, A., Weiner, R.M., Wilk, G., (1987) Phys. Rev. D, 35, p. 870Fowler, G.N., Navarra, F.S., Plümer, M., Voudras, A., Weiner, R.M., Wilk, G., (1989) Phys. Rev. C, 40, p. 1219Shabelski, Yu.M., Weiner, R.M., Wilk, G., Włodarczyk, Z., (1992) J. Phys. G, 18, p. 1281Włodarczyk, Z., (1995) J. Phys. G, 21, p. 281Chou, T.T., Yang, C.N., (1985) Phys. Rev. D, 32, p. 1692Gaisser, T.K., Stanev, T., (1989) Phys. Lett. B, 219, p. 375Kaǐdalov, A.B., Ter-Martirosyan, K.A., (1987) Proceedings of the 20th International Cosmic Ray Conference, 5, p. 139(1984) Sov. J. Nucl. Phys., 40, p. 135Nazareth, R.A.M.S., Kodama, T., Portes Jr., D.A., (1992) Phys. Rev. D, 46, p. 2896Schatz, G., Thouw, T., Werner, K., Oehlschläger, J., Bekk, K., (1994) J. Phys. G, 20, p. 1267Gaisser, T.K., Protheroe, R.J., Turver, K.E., McComb, T.J.L., (1978) Rev. Mod. Phys., 50, p. 859Van Hove, L., Pokorski, S., (1975) Nucl. Phys., B86, p. 243Akashi, M., (1964) Prog. Theor. Phys. Suppl., 32, p. 1Feynman, R., (1969) Phys. Rev. Lett., 23, p. 1415Taylor, F.E., Carey, D.C., Johnson, J.R., Kammerud, R., Ritchie, D.J., Roberts, A., Sauer, J.R., Walker, J.K., (1976) Phys. Rev. D, 14, p. 1217Ohsawa, A., (1994) Prog. Theor. Phys., 92, p. 1005Arata, N., (1983) Nucl. Phys., B211, p. 189Tabuki, T., (1983) Prog. Theor. Phys. Suppl., 76, p. 40Chinellato, J.A., (1983) Prog. Theor. Phys. Suppl., 76, p. 1Alner, G.L., (1987) Phys. Rep., 5-6, p. 247Nishimura, J., (1967) Handbuch der Physik, 46 (2), p. 1. , Springer, BerlinArisawa, T., Fujimoto, Y., Hasegawa, S., Honda, K., Ito, H., Kopenkin, V.V., Semba, H., Strogova, O.P., (1994) Nucl. Phys., B424, p. 241Baradzei, L.T., (1992) Nucl. Phys. B, B370, p. 365Kopenkin, V., Fujimoto, Y., (1996) Nuovo Cimento C, 19, p. 1017Moriya, M., (1997), Master thesis, Waseda UniversityBarroso, S.L.C., Fujimoto, Y., Kopenkin, V., Moriya, M., Navia, C., Ohsawa, A., Shibuya, E.H., Tamada, M., (1997) Nucl. Phys. B (Proc. Suppl.), 52 B, p. 201(1997) Proceedings of the 25th International Cosmic Ray Conference, 6, p. 41Hama, Y., Paiva, S., (1997) Phys. Rev. Lett., 78, p. 3070Tamada, M., (1995) J. Phys. G, 21, p. 1387Knapp, J., Heck, D., Schatz, G., (1996) Report of Institut für Kernphysik, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, , Wissenchafteliche Berichte FZKA 5828Harr, R., Liapis, C., Karchin, P., Biino, C., Erhan, S., Hofmann, W., Kreuzer, P., Zweizig, J., (1997) Phys. Lett. B, 401, p. 176Tamada, M., Kopenkin, V.V., (1997) Nucl. Phys., B494, p. 3Ohsawa, A., (1971) Prog. Theor. Phys. Suppl., 47, p. 180Gaisser, T.K., (1990) Cosmic Rays and Particle Physics, , Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Englan

Alignment in Gamma-Hadron Families of Cosmic Rays

Alignment of main fluxes of energy in a target plane is found in families of cosmic ray particles detected in deep lead X-ray chambers. The fraction of events with alignment is unexpectedly large for families with high energy and large number of hadrons. This can be considered as evidence for the existence of coplanar scattering of secondary particles in interaction of particles with superhigh energy, $E_0 > 10^{16}$ eV. Data analysis suggests that production of most aligned groups occurs low above the chamber and is characterized by a coplanar scattering and quasiscaling spectrum of secondaries in the fragmentation region. The most elaborated hypothesis for explanation of alignment is related to the quark-gluon string rupture. However, the problem of theoretical interpretation of our results still remains open.Comment: 15 pages, 2 tables, 6 figures (not included), Stanford University preprint SU-ITP-94-2