N-Component in Extensive Air Showers

Abstract

The high energy $N$-component, capable of producing penetrating showers, has been found to have an intensity near the cores of air showers about 60 percent as great as that of the non-interacting penetrating particles, and about ½ percent as great as that of the electrons. The ratio of charged to neutral $N$-component is about 1.5. Large penetrating showers are more frequently observed to be associated with air showers than are small penetrating showers. It is suggested that all of the $N$-component in the lower atmosphere belongs to extensive showers and contributes to the shower development. Near the core, the lateral density distribution of the $N$-component is found to be as strong as that of the electrons. It is shown that this results from purely geometric considerations, provided one accepts the concept of a core containing $N$-component of great energy, continually feeding out lower energy particles to the side.