Inferences on Mass Composition and Tests of Hadronic Interactions from 0.3 to 100 EeV using the water-Cherenkov Detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory

Understand

We present a new method for probing the hadronic interaction models at ultra-high energy and extracting details about mass composition.

• This is done using the time profiles of the signals recorded with the water-Cherenkov detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory.
• The profiles arise from a mix of the muon and electromagnetic components of air-showers.
• Using the risetimes of the recorded signals we define a new parameter, which we use to compare our observations with predictions from simulations.