Effect of Rapidly Rising Proton?Proton Total Cross Sections on Idealized Extensive Air Showers

Abstract

A simulation of extensive air showers above 1013 eV in which proton?proton scattering takes place partly through a medium-strong interaction is reported. In previous papers the simulation has been shown to be in fair agreement with observational data. The present version includes for the first time the assumption that the total cross section for proton-proton scattering increases with energy, as concluded in a recent paper by Yodh, Pal, and Trefil. The effect of the assumption is to make a noticeably better agreement between the simulation and the data.