Overview
After a brief historic review the basic phenomenology and the fundamental physical process that are responsible for producing Cherenkov radiation in refractive media are explained, followed by the elementary theory of single particle Cherenkov radiation that covers the radiation yield and spectral features. Subsequently the phenomenology and theory of Cherenkov radiation in air showers are discussed, including characteristic features such as the lateral, temporal and spectral distribution of the photons, polarization aspects, the curvature of the light front and distribution substructures. The relation between the energy of the shower initiating primary and the optical observables at ground level are analyzed and the procedure to estimate the primary energy is outlined. The effects of the nature of the primary on the Cherenkov pattern, in particular of the mass if the primary is a hadron, are outlined and correlations between Cherenkov and particle observables are illuminated. Gamma ray astronomy is briefly touched and the technique of Cherenkov imaging is presented. These topics are followed by a discussion of the optical background, atmospheric light scattering, absorption and attenuation. The chapter ends with a compilation of data that cover the entire scope of experimental work, from the early stages to the present.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
For a historic account see Weekes (1996).
- 2.
The integral rate of hadron induced showers producing a ≥1 TeV equivalent gamma ray shower signal is \(\sim 5\cdot 10^{-8}\;\textrm{cm}^{-2}\;\textrm{s}^{-1}\), masking completely the general Galactic disk emission expected at a rate of approximately 10−12 cm−2s−1 within an acceptance angle of 1° (Drury, 1996).
- 3.
The first to use the air Cherenkov imaging technique on common air showers were Hill and Porter (1961) who used an opto-electronic image intensifier.
- 4.
Modern large imaging systems are operated over an impact parameter range from 0 to 500 m.
- 5.
Optical filters were frequently used in the past to reduce contributions from longer wavelengths to the background; today photomultipliers with appropriate photocathode sensitivities are being used.
- 6.
Glushkov et al. (1979) specify in their paper a very weak size dependence of C, \(C = C(b,k)\); in other work of the same group the size dependence is disregarded.
References
Aglietta, M., et al.: Astropart. Phys., 21, p. 223 (2004).
Aharonian, F.A.: Very High Energy Cosmic Gamma Radiation, World Scientific, Singapore (2004).
Andam, A., et al.: PICRC, 9, p. 48 (1979).
Ascoli, R., and A. Balzanelli: Nuovo Cimento, 10, p. 1345 (1953).
Beck, G.: Phys. Rev., 74, p. 795 (1948).
Bernlöhr, K.: Astropart. Phys., 12, p. 255 (2000).
Blackett, P.M.S.: Phys. Soc. London, Gassiot Committee Report, p. 34 (1948).
Böhm, E., et al.: J. Phys. A, 10, p. 441 (1977).
Boley, F.I., et al.: Phys. Rev., 124, p. 1205 (1961).
Boley, F.I., et al.: Phys. Rev., 126, p. 734 (1962).
Boley, F.I.: Rev. Mod. Phys., 36, p. 792 (1964).
Bosia, G., et al.: Nuovo Cimento, 9 B, p. 201 (1972).
Bosia, G., et al.: Nuovo Cimento, 3 C, p. 215 (1980).
Brennan, M.H., et al.: Nuovo Cimento, Suppl. 8, p. 662 (1958).
Browning, R., and K.E. Turver: PICRC, 8, p. 3002 (1975).
Browning, R., and K.E. Turver: Nuovo Cimento, 38 A, p. 223 (1977).
Buckley, J.H.: Rapporteur Paper XXVI International Cosmic Ray Conference (1999), AIP Conference Proceedings, 516, p. 195 (2000).
Castagnoli, C., et al.: Nucl. Phys. B, 2, p. 369 (1967).
Castagnoli, C., et al.: Nuovo Cimento, 9 B, p. 213 (1972).
Catanese, M., and T.C. Weekes: Publication Astron Soc Pacific, 111, p. 1193 (1999).
Cawley, M.F., et al.: PICRC, 1, p. 118 (1983).
Cawley, M.F., et al.: PICRC, 3, p. 453 (1985).
Chadwick, P.M., et al.: Space Sci. Rev., 75, p. 153 (1996).
Chantler, M., et al.: PICRC, 9, p. 42 (1979).
Clay, R.W., and A.G. Gregory: J. Phys. A, 10, p. 135 (1977).
Cherenkov, P.A.: Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR, 2, p. 451 (1934).
Cherenkov, P.A.: Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR, 3, p. 413 (1936).
Cherenkov, P.A.: Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR, 14, p. 101 (1937a).
Cherenkov, P.A.: Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR, 14, p. 105 (1937b).
Cherenkov, P.A.: Phys. Rev., 52, p. 378 (1937c).
Cherenkov, P.A.: Byull. Akad. Nauk SSSR, 4–5, pp. 455 and 492 (1937d).
Cherenkov, P.A.: Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR, 20, p. 651 (1938a).
Cherenkov, P.A.: Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR, 21, p. 116 (1938b).
Cherenkov, P.A.: Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR, 21, p. 319 (1938c).
Chudakov, A.E., and N.M. Nesterova: Nuovo Cimento, Suppl. 8, p. 606 (1958).
Chudakov, A.E., et al.: PICRC, 2, p. 50 (1960).
Chudakov, A.E., et al.: PICRC, 4, p. 199 (1963).
Cocconi, G.: PICRC, Moscow 1959, 2, p. 309 (1960).
Cox, R.T.: Phys. Rev., 66, p. 106 (1944).
Curie, E.: Madame Curie, Heinemann, London (1941).
Diminstein, O.S., et al.: Paper presented at the 3rd. European Symposium on Air Showers, Paris (1972).
Diminstein, O.S., et al.: PICRC, 12, p. 4318 (1975).
Dixon, H.E., et al.: PICRC, 4, p. 2473 (1973).
Drury, L.O’C.: Space Sci. Rev., 75, p. 269 (1996).
Dyakonov, M.N., et al.: PICRC, 4, p. 2384 (1973a).
Dyakonov, M.N., et al.: PICRC, 4, p. 2389 (1973b).
Dyakonov, M.N., et al.: PICRC, 8, p. 174 (1979).
Efimov, N.N., et al.: PICRC, 4, p. 2378 (1973).
Efimov, N.N., and V.F. Sokurov: PICRC, 8, p. 152 (1979).
Egorov, T.A., et al.: PICRC, 6, p. 2059 (1971a).
Egorov, T.A., et al.: PICRC, 6, p. 2164 (1971b).
Elterman, L., and R.B. Toolin: Handbook of Geophysics and Space Environments, Chap. 7, Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratory, Office of Aerospace Research, USAF (1965).
Elterman, L.: Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratory, Ref. AFC RL-68-0153 (1968).
Fegan, D.J.: Space Sci. Rev., 75, p. 137 (1996).
Firkowski, R., et al.: Nuovo Cimento, 26, p. 1422 (1962).
Firkowski, R., et al.: Nuovo Cimento, 29, p. 19 (1963).
Fomin, Yu.A., and G. Khristiansen: Yad. Fiz., 14, S3, p. 654 (1971).
Frank, I.M., and I.G. Tamm: Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR, 14, p. 109 (1937).
Galbraith, W., and J.V. Jelley: Nature, 171, p. 349 (1953).
Galbraith, W., and J.V. Jelley: J. Atmos. Terr. Phys., 6, p. 250 (1955).
Gawin, J., et al.: PICRC, 4, p. 180 (1963).
Gawin, J., et al.: PICRC, 2, p. 639 (1965).
Ginsburg, V.L.: Zh. fiz. SSSR, 2, p. 441 (1940a).
Ginsburg, V.L.: Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz., 10, p. 589 (1940b).
Glushkov, A.V., et al.: Preprint YaFAN, Yakutsk (1978).
Glushkov, A.V., et al.: PICRC, 8, p. 158 (1979).
Gol’danskii, V.I., and G.B. Zhdanov: Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz., 26, p. 405 (1954). [Engl. transl.: Sov. Phys. JETP, 26, p. 405 (1954)].
Grindlay, J.E.: Harvard College Obs. and Smithsonian Astrophys. Obs., Center for Astrophysics, preprint Series No. 150 (1974).
Guzhavin, V.V., et al.: PICRC, 8, p. 3029 (1975a).
Guzhavin, V.V., et al.: PICRC, 8, p. 3024 (1975b).
Hammond, R.T., et al.: Nuovo Cimento, 1 C, p. 315 (1978).
Hara, T., et al.: PICRC, 8, p. 308 (1977).
Hartman, D.H., et al.: Nuovo Cimento, 51A, p. 131 (1979).
Hill, D.A., and N.A. Porter: Nature, 191, p. 690 (1961).
Hillas, A.M.: J. Phys. G, 8, p. 1475 (1982).
Hillas, A.M.: PICRC, 3, p. 445 (1985).
Hillas, A.M.: Space Sci. Rev., 75, p. 17 (1996).
Inoue, N., et al.: PICRC, 11, p. 270 (1981a).
Inoue, N., et al.: PICRC, 11, p. 274 (1981b).
Ivanenko, I.P., et al.: Acad. of Sci. of U.S.S.R., P.N. Lebedev Phys. Inst., preprint ref. 98 (1976).
Ivanenko, I.P., et al.: PICRC, 9, p. 83 (1979a).
Ivanenko, I.P., et al.: PICRC, 9, p. 88 (1979b).
Jelley, J.V., and W. Galbraith: Phil. Mag., 44, p. 619 (1953).
Jelley, J.V., and W. Galbraith: J. Atmos. Terr. Phys., 6, p. 304 (1955).
Jelley, J.V.: Cherenkov Radiation and its Applications, Pergamon Press, London (1958a).
Jelley, J.V.: Nuovo Cimento, Suppl. VIII, p. 578 (1958b).
Jelley, J.V.: Planetary and Space Science, Pergamon Press, Oxford, Vol. 1, p. 105 (1959).
Jelley, J.V.: Prog. Cosmic Ray Phys., IX, p. 41 (1967).
Jenkins, F.A., and H.E. White: Fundamentals of Physical Optics, 1st ed., McGraw-Hill Co., New York (1937).
Kalmykov, N.N., et al.: PICRC, 6, p. 2074 (1971).
Kalmykov, N.N., et al.: PICRC, 8, p. 3034 (1975).
Kalmykov, N.N., et al.: PICRC, 8, p. 244 (1977).
Kamata, K., et al.: Can. J. Phys., 46, p. 72 (1968).
Khristiansen, G.B.: Cosmic Rays of Superhigh Energies, Karl Thiemig Verlag, München (1980).
Konopelko, A.K.: Towards a Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Detector – V. Kruger National Park Workshop on TeV Gamma Ray Astrophysics, 8–11 August 1997, Kruger National Park, South Africa, O.C. de Jager Ed.,Potchefstroom University, p. 208 (1997).
Krieger, A.S., and H.V. Bradt: Can. J. Phys., 46, p. 87 (1968).
Krieger, A.S., and H.V. Bradt: Phys. Rev., 185, p. 1629 (1969).
Kuhlmann, J.D., et al.: PICRC, 8, p. 239 (1977).
Kuhlmann, J.D., and R.W. Clay: J. Phys. G, 7, p. L183 (1981).
Lewis, D.A., et al.: PICRC, 2, p. 338 (1987).
MacKeown, P.K., et al.: PICRC, 9, p. 175 (1983).
Makarov, V.V., et al.: PICRC, 11, p. 289 (1981).
Makhmudov, B.M., et al.: PICRC, 9, p. 61 (1979).
Mallet, L.: Comptes Rendus Acad. Sci. Paris, 183, p. 274 (1926).
Mallet, L.: Comptes Rendus Acad. Sci. Paris 187, p. 222 (1928).
Mallet, L.: Comptes Rendus Acad. Sci. Paris 188, p. 445 (1929).
Malos, J., et al.: J. Phys. Soc. Jpn, 17, p. 114 (1962).
Matano, T., and V.S. Narasimham: PICRC, 4, p. 290 (1963).
McComb, T.J.L., et al.: PICRC, 9, p. 53 (1979).
McComb, T.J.L., and K.E. Turver: PICRC, 6, p. 130 (1981).
McComb, T.J.L., and K.E. Turver: Nuovo Cimento C, 5, p. 131 (1982).
Neamtan, S.M.: Phys. Rev., 92, p. 1362 (1953).
Nesterova, N.M., and A.E. Chudakov: Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz., 28, p. 384 (1955). Sov. Phys. JETP, 1, p. 388 (1955).
Ong, R.A.: Phys. Rep., 305, p. 93 (1998).
Orford, K.J., et al.: PICRC, 8, p. 3014 (1975a).
Orford, K.J., et al.: PICRC, 8, p. 3019 (1975b).
Orford, K.J., and K.E. Turver: Nature, 264, p. 727 (1976).
Patterson, J.R., and A.M. Hillas: J. Phys. G, 9, p. 323 (1983a).
Patterson, J.R., and A.M. Hillas: J. Phys. G, 9, p. 1433 (1983b).
Pinkau, K.: Astron. Astrophys., Suppl. Ser., 120, p. 43 (1996).
Polikarov, A.: C.R. Acad. Bulg. Sci., 7, 2, p. 29 (1954).
Protheroe, R.J., et al.: PICRC, 8, p. 3008 (1975).
Protheroe, R.J., and K.E. Turver: Nuovo Cimento, 51 A, p. 277 (1979).
Ramana-Murthy, P.V., and A.W. Wolfendale: Gamma Ray Astronomy, 2nd ed., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1993).
Rieke, G.H.: Acta Phys. Acad. Sci. Hung., 29, S3, p. 601 (1970).
Schiff, L.I.: Quantum Mechanics, McGraw-Hill, New York, p. 267 (1955).
Schönfelder, V., ed.: “The Universe in Gamma Rays”, Springer Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York (2001).
Shirasaki, Y., et al.: Astropart. Phys., 15, p. 357 (2001).
Sitte, K.: Nuovo Cimento, 25, p. 86 (1962).
Sitte, K.: Acta Phys. Acad. Sci. Hung., 29, S3, p. 389 (1970).
Smirnov, V.A.: Vvedenie v opticheskuyu radioelektroniku. Moskwa, izd. Sov. radio, 208 s (1973).
Smith, G.J., and K.E. Turver: J. Phys. A, 6, p. L121 (1973a).
Smith, G.J., and K.E. Turver: PICRC, 4, p. 2369 (1973b).
Sokolov, A.: Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR, 28, p. 415 (1940).
Sokolov, A.A., and Yu.M. Loskutov: Zh. Eksp. Theor. Fiz., 32, p. 630 (1957).
Sommerfeld, A.: Optics, Academic Press, New York, p. 328 (1954).
Sternheimer, R.: Phys. Rev., 91, p. 256 (1953).
Suga, K., et al.: PICRC, 4, p. 9 (1963).
Tamm, I.G.: Zh. fis., SSSR, 1, p. 439 (1939).
Taniuti, T.: Prog. Theor. Phys. Jpn, 6, p. 207 (1951).
Thornton, G.J., and R.W. Clay: J. Phys. G, 4, p. L193 (1978a).
Thornton, G.J., and R.W. Clay: J. Phys. G, 4, p. L251 (1978b).
Tidman, D.A.: Nuovo Cimento, 3, Ser. 10, p. 503 (1956a).
Tidman, D.A.: Nuclear Phys., 2, p. 289 (1956b).
Tornabene, H.: PICRC, 9, p. 94 (1979).
Toyoda, Y., et al.: PICRC, 2, p. 708 (1965).
Trümper, J.: Cosmic Rays 92 – Astrophysical, High Energy and Heliospheric Processes. Proceedings of the 13th European Cosmic Ray Symposium, Geneva, 1992, P.K.F. Grieder, ed., Nucl. Phys. B (Proc. Suppl.), 33A/B, p. 126 (1993).
Turver, K.E., and T.C. Weekes: Nuovo Cimento, 45B, p. 99 (1978).
Turver, K.E.: Nucl. Phys. B (Proc. Suppl.), 28 B, p. 16 (1992).
Weekes, T.C.: PICRC, 8, p. 34 (1981).
Weekes, T.C.: Phys. Rep., 160, p. 1 (1988).
Weekes, T.C.: Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138, Preprint Series No. 2802 (1989).
Weekes, T.C.: Space Sci. Rev., 75, p. 1 (1996).
Weekes, T.C.: Very High Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy, Institute of Physics Publishing, Bristol, Vol. XV, p. 221 (2003a).
Weekes, T.C.: Invited paper presented at the 28th. ICRC, Tsukuba, Japan, July 31 – August 7, 2003. Frontiers of Cosmic Ray Science, Universal Academic Press, inc., Tokyo (Japan), PICRC, 8, p. 3 (2003b).
Zatsepin, V.I., and A.E. Chudakov: Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz., 42, p. 1622 (1962). JETP, 15, p. 1126 (1962).
Zatsepin, V.I.: Zh. Eksperim. i. Theor. Fiz., 47, p. 689 (1964) (in Russian)
Zatsepin, V.I.: Sov. Phys. JETP, 20, p. 459 (1965).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Grieder, P.K. (2010). Atmospheric Cherenkov Radiation. In: Extensive Air Showers. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-76941-5_16
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-76941-5_16
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-76940-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-76941-5
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)