Monte Carlo studies on electromagnetic cascades in extensive air showers

Abstract

Three-dimensional Monte Carlo calculations have been performed on the trajectories of high-energy hadrons in extensive air showers. The central electron density and gradient of distribution are obtained for individual electromagnetic cascades together with coordinates at the level of observation. Various assumptions concerning primary mass number and energy, distributions of strong interaction parameters, and fragmentation mechanisms are discussed with respect to the production of steep maxima of electron density by single electromagnetic cascades in the core region of extensive air showers.