Abstract
We discuss the atmospheric showers initiated by 1104-TeV photons emitted by cosmic accelerators such as Cygnus X-3. The direction and characteristic time structure of the radiation from such sources can be used to tag a beam of known composition (rays) with well-understood interactions (QED) with the target atmosphere. An experiment using a cosmic beam, therefore, overcomes the classic hurdles in interpreting cosmic-ray data. Tagged photon experiments covering a (102103-m)2 area can conceivably achieve the statistics and signal-to-noise ratio to probe the anticipated new structure in particle physics at a scale of (2 GF)-1/20.25 TeV. They would at the same time constitute a new generation of telescopes at the highest energies of the emission spectrum. We also extend our discussion of muons to underground experiments in the corresponding energy region.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 2061-2070 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Physical Review D |
Volume | 34 |
Issue number | 7 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1986 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)