Extensive atmospheric showers and methods of reconstruction of their fundamental parameters
Cherenkov tanks are widely used as the basic detection units at ground level in important cosmic ray experiments, such as the Pierre Auger Observatory. Samples of density and trigger time are obtained from the Cherenkov light generated in the water by the ultrarelativistic particles charged in the cascades. It is then possible to infer the energy and direction of arrival of the primary cosmic ray that initiated the extended atmospheric shower. In addition, using sophisticated analyzes that explore the response of different shower components, it is also possible to evaluate its muonic content.
In this work, Cherenkov detector signal reconstruction techniques will be studied, both for the Pierre Auger Observatory and for the LAGO array, in operation at UFABC, in order to obtain the energy and the direction of arrival of the cosmic ray primary.