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arXiv · 2406.06319

Measurement of the Depth of Maximum of Air-Shower Profiles with energies between $\mathbf{10^{18.5}}$ and $\mathbf{10^{20}}$ eV using the Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory and Deep Learning

The Pierre Auger Collaboration·A. Abdul Halim·P. Abreu·M. Aglietta·I. Allekotte·K. Almeida Cheminant·A. Almela·R. Aloisio·J. Alvarez-Muñiz·J. Ammerman Yebra·G. A. Anastasi·L. Anchordoqui·B. Andrada·L. Andrade Dourado·S. Andringa·L. Apollonio·C. Aramo·P. R. Araújo Ferreira·E. Arnone·J. C. Arteaga Velázquez·P. Assis·G. Avila·E. Avocone·A. Bakalova·F. Barbato·A. Bartz Mocellin·C. Berat·M. E. Bertaina·G. Bhatta·M. Bianciotto·P. L. Biermann·V. Binet·K. Bismark·T. Bister·J. Biteau·J. Blazek·C. Bleve·J. Blümer·M. Boháčová·D. Boncioli·C. Bonifazi·L. Bonneau Arbeletche·N. Borodai·J. Brack·P. G. Brichetto Orchera·F. L. Briechle·A. Bueno·S. Buitink·M. Buscemi·M. Büsken·A. Bwembya·K. S. Caballero-Mora·S. Cabana-Freire·L. Caccianiga·F. Campuzano·R. Caruso·A. Castellina·F. Catalani·G. Cataldi·L. Cazon·M. Cerda·B. Čermáková·A. Cermenati·J. A. Chinellato·J. Chudoba·L. Chytka·R. W. Clay·A. C. Cobos Cerutti·R. Colalillo·M. R. Coluccia·R. Conceição·A. Condorelli·G. Consolati·M. Conte·F. Convenga·D. Correia dos Santos·P. J. Costa·C. E. Covault·M. Cristinziani·C. S. Cruz Sanchez·S. Dasso·K. Daumiller·B. R. Dawson·R. M. de Almeida·B. de Errico·J. de Jesús·S. J. de Jong·J. R. T. de Mello Neto·I. De Mitri·J. de Oliveira·D. de Oliveira Franco·F. de Palma·V. de Souza·E. De Vito·A. Del Popolo·O. Deligny·N. Denner·L. Deval·A. di Matteo·J. A. do
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Abstract

We report an investigation of the mass composition of cosmic rays with energies from 3 to 100 EeV (1 EeV=$10^{18}$ eV) using the distributions of the depth of shower maximum $X_\mathrm{max}$. The analysis relies on ${\sim}50,000$ events recorded by the Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory and a deep-learning-based reconstruction algorithm. Above energies of 5 EeV, the data set offers a 10-fold increase in statistics with respect to fluorescence measurements at the Observatory. After cross-calibration using the Fluorescence Detector, this enables the first measurement of the evolution of the mean and the standard deviation of the $X_\mathrm{max}$ distributions up to 100 EeV. Our findings are threefold: (1.) The evolution of the mean logarithmic mass towards a heavier composition with increasing energy can be confirmed and is extended to 100 EeV. (2.) The evolution of the fluctuations of $X_\mathrm{max}$ towards a heavier and purer composition with increasing energy can be confirmed with high statistics. We report a rather heavy composition and small fluctuations in $X_\mathrm{max}$ at the highest energies. (3.) We find indications for a characteristic structure beyond a constant change in the mean logarithmic mass, featuring three breaks that are observed in proximity to the ankle, instep, and suppression features in the energy spectrum.

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The Pierre Auger Collaboration, A. Abdul Halim, P. Abreu, M. Aglietta, I. Allekotte, K. Almeida Cheminant, A. Almela, R. Aloisio, J. Alvarez-Muñiz, J. Ammerman Yebra, G. A. Anastasi, L. Anchordoqui, B. Andrada, L. Andrade Dourado, S. Andringa, L. Apollonio, C. Aramo, P. R. Araújo Ferreira, E. Arnone, J. C. Arteaga Velázquez, P. Assis, G. Avila, E. Avocone, A. Bakalova, F. Barbato, A. Bartz Mocellin, C. Berat, M. E. Bertaina, G. Bhatta, M. Bianciotto, P. L. Biermann, V. Binet, K. Bismark, T. Bister, J. Biteau, J. Blazek, C. Bleve, J. Blümer, M. Boháčová, D. Boncioli, C. Bonifazi, L. Bonneau Arbeletche, N. Borodai, J. Brack, P. G. Brichetto Orchera, F. L. Briechle, A. Bueno, S. Buitink, M. Buscemi, M. Büsken, A. Bwembya, K. S. Caballero-Mora, S. Cabana-Freire, L. Caccianiga, F. Campuzano, R. Caruso, A. Castellina, F. Catalani, G. Cataldi, L. Cazon, M. Cerda, B. Čermáková, A. Cermenati, J. A. Chinellato, J. Chudoba, L. Chytka, R. W. Clay, A. C. Cobos Cerutti, R. Colalillo, M. R. Coluccia, R. Conceição, A. Condorelli, G. Consolati, M. Conte, F. Convenga, D. Correia dos Santos, P. J. Costa, C. E. Covault, M. Cristinziani, C. S. Cruz Sanchez, S. Dasso, K. Daumiller, B. R. Dawson, R. M. de Almeida, B. de Errico, J. de Jesús, S. J. de Jong, J. R. T. de Mello Neto, I. De Mitri, J. de Oliveira, D. de Oliveira Franco, F. de Palma, V. de Souza, E. De Vito, A. Del Popolo, O. Deligny, N. Denner, L. Deval, A. di Matteo, J. A. do. 2025-02-06. Measurement of the Depth of Maximum of Air-Shower Profiles with energies between $\mathbf{10^{18.5}}$ and $\mathbf{10^{20}}$ eV using the Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory and Deep Learning. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.111.022003

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