Measurements of the proton-air cross section with high energy cosmic ray experiments

Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Utah

^a e-mail: rasha@cosmic.utah.edu

Published online: 4 July 2016

Abstract

Detecting Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECRs) enables us to measure the proton-air inelastic cross section σ^inel _p–air at energies that we are unable to access with particle accelerators. The proton-proton cross section σ_p–p is subsequently inferred from the proton-air cross section at these energies. UHECR experiments have been reportingon the proton-air inelastic cross section starting with the Fly’s Eye in 1984 at √s =30 TeV and ending with the most recent result of the Telescope Array experiment at √s = 95 TeV in 2015. In this proceeding, I will summarize the most recent experimental results on the σ^inel _p–air measurements from the UHECR experiments.