A Study of Penetrating Cosmic-Ray Showers in Water

Abstract

Penetrating showers produced locally by non-ionizing radiation were studied using counter techniques. The collision length in water of the non-ionizing component which is capable of producing penetrating showers was found to be (98±13) g/${\mathrm{cm}}^2$. Comparison of this collision length with that expected from the geometrical cross section seems to indicate that the hydrogen nuclei in water have a rather small cross section for the production of penetrating showers by neutral radiation. Results obtained at two elevations were used to calculate the absorption length in air of the neutral penetrating shower producing component. The absorption length measured, (115±19) g/${\mathrm{cm}}^2$, agrees with that obtained by others for the total penetrating shower producing component.