A new tool for modeling cosmic ray interactions

• Applicant: Sergey Ostapchenko, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Nuclear and Elementary Particle Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Relativity, Fields
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 550225003

Studies of ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) represent one of the most intriguing directions of astroparticle physics research. Because of the low incoming flux of UHECRs, one is forced to employ indirect detection techniques: inferring the properties of primary cosmic ray (CR) particles from measured characteristics of extensive air showers (EAS) initiated by interactions of primary CRs in the atmosphere of the Earth. Consequently, such experimental activities imply an extensive use of numerical modeling of EAS development, comprising a description of collisions with air nuclei both of primary CRs and of secondary hadrons produced, by Monte Carlo (MC) generators of hadronic interactions. The current project is aiming at the development of a new MC generator for the treatment of hadron-proton, hadron-nucleus, and nucleus-nucleus collisions, as well as of photo-production processes, over a wide energy range: from ~10 GeV laboratory energy up to ultra high CR energies. The main strategy is to combine a theoretical self-consistency of the underlying approach with a sufficient transparency of the physical mechanisms involved and with a substantial model flexibility, both regarding a tuning of model parameters and concerning potential variations of the interaction mechanisms employed. The main goal of the project is to provide the cosmic ray community with a new tool for modeling CR interactions, characterized by a computational efficiency, a sufficient transparency, and easily manageable modification options, which can be used for analyzing CR data and for studying a compatibility of certain CR data sets with relevant accelerator data.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants