CERN Accelerating science

Article
Report number	astro-ph/0703230
Title	Measurement of air fluorescence light yield induced by an electromagnetic shower
Author(s)	Colin, Pierre (Annecy, LAPP) ; Chukanov, A. (Dubna, JINR) ; Grebenyuk, V. (Dubna, JINR) ; Naumov, D. (Dubna, JINR) ; Nedelec, P. (Annecy, LAPP) ; Nefedov, Yu. (Dubna, JINR) ; Onofre, A. (LIP, Coimbra) ; Porokhovoi, S. (Dubna, JINR) ; Sabirov, B. (Dubna, JINR) ; Tkatchev, L. (Dubna, JINR)
Publication	2007
Imprint	9 Mar 2007
Number of pages	11
Note	Comments: 11 pages, 6 figures, submitted to astropart. phys
In:	Astropart. Phys. 30 (2009) 312-317
DOI	10.1016/j.astropartphys.2008.10.005
Subject category	Astrophysics and Astronomy
Accelerator/Facility, Experiment	CERN SPS MACFLY
Abstract	For most of the Ultra High Energy Cosmic Ray (UHECR) experiments and projects (HiRes, AUGER, TA, JEM-EUSO, TUS,...), the detection technique of Extensive Air Showers (EAS) is based, at least, on the measurement of the air fluorescence induced signal. The knowledge of the Fluorescence Light Yield (FLY) is of paramount importance for the UHECR energy reconstruction. The MACFLY experiment was designed to perform such FLY measurements. In this paper we will present the results of dry air FLY induced by 50 GeV electromagnetic showers as a function of shower age and as a function of the pressure. The experiment was performed at CERN using an SPS electron test beam line. It is shown that the FLY is proportional to deposited energy in air (E_d) and that the ratio FLY/E_d and its pressure dependence remain constant independently of shower age and more generally independently of the excitation source used (single electron track or air shower).

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