Time asymmetries in extensive air showers: a novel method to identify UHECR species

Azimuthal asymmetries in signals of non vertical showers have been observed in ground arrays of water Cherenkov detectors, like Haverah Park and the Pierre Auger Observatory. The asymmetry in time distributions of arriving particles offers a new possibility for the determination of the mass composition. The dependence of this asymmetry on atmospheric depth shows a clear maximum at a position that is correlated with the primary species. In this work a novel method to determine mass composition based on these features of the ground signals is presented and a Monte Carlo study of its sensitivity is carried out.
Comment: Received at Editorial Office: 5 Dec 2008. Accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physics: 3 Mar 2009