Measurement of Light Emission from Remote Cosmic-Ray Air Showers

• Published in: Physical review letters Vol. 39; no. 13; pp. 847 - 849
• Main Authors: Bergeson, H. E., Cassiday, G. L., Chiu, T. -W., Cooper, D. A., Elbert, J. W., Loh, E. C., Steck, D., West, W. J., Linsley, J., Mason, G. W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 26-09-1977
• ISSN: 0031-9007
• DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.39.847

Extensive-air-shower trajectories and sizes (numbers of charged particles) have been measured using an optical detection system. Light produced by atmospheric scintillation and Cherenkov emission by shower particles was measured at distances of 0.7 to approximately 10 km. The shower sizes determined by the optical measurements are in satisfactory agreement (an average of 10% higher) with measurements by a ground-level scintillation-counter array.