Upper limit on the photon fraction in highest-energy cosmic rays from AGASA data

A new method to derive an upper limit on photon primaries from small data sets of air showers is developed which accounts for shower properties varying with the primary energy and arrival direction. Applying this method to the highest-energy showers recorded by the AGASA experiment, an upper limit o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2005-10, Vol.95 (17), p.171102.1-171102.4, Article 171102
Main Authors: RISSE, M, HOMOLA, P, ENGEL, R, GORA, D, HECK, D, PCKALA, J, WILCZYNSKA, B, WILCZYNSKI, H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS
COSMIC SHOWERS
EEV RANGE
ENERGY SPECTRA
Exact sciences and technology
PHOTONS
Physics
PRIMARY COSMIC RADIATION
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Summary:A new method to derive an upper limit on photon primaries from small data sets of air showers is developed which accounts for shower properties varying with the primary energy and arrival direction. Applying this method to the highest-energy showers recorded by the AGASA experiment, an upper limit on the photon fraction of 51% (67%) at a confidence level of 90% (95%) for primary energies above 1.25 x 10(20) eV is set. This new limit on the photon fraction above the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin cutoff energy constrains the -burst model of the origin of highest-energy cosmic rays.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/physrevlett.95.171102