Study of high energy (25-10000 GeV) interactions with a multiplate cloud chamber using Monte Carlo simulations for energy calibration

Abstract

Monte Carlo simulations of hadron and electron-photon cascades in the large multiplate cloud chamber operating at Ootacamund have been carried out using some plausible interaction models. Some extreme assumptions about multiplicity and inelasticity have been incorporated in order to study their effect on the detailed features of the cascades. A new method for estimating the energies of the cascades of energy above about 200 GeV by measuring cascade widths at different depths in the absorber has been developed with calibrations provided by the simulations. The estimated energy is accurate to within 50%. The experimentally observed cascades due to pions and nucleons at energies below 200 GeV are similar and a comparison of the detailed profiles with the simulated cascades suggests that pions like nucleons are only partially inelastic at these energies. Hadron cascades in the TeV energy range show rather fast absorption after the cascade maxima.