An update on the measurements of the depth of shower maximum made at the Pierre Auger Observatory

THE PIERRE AUGER COLLABORATION (AUTOR 434 DE 474); M. TUEROS

Rio de Janeiro

Conferencia; 33rd International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC 2013); 2013

International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP)

Abstract: Data continue to be collected at The Pierre Auger Observatory. The Fluorescence telescopes of the Pierre Auger Observatory can be used to measure the depth of shower maximum (Xmax ) with high precision (20 g/cm2 on average). Thus the measurement of the Xmax distribution is the best way to infer properties of the primarycosmic ray, such as its composition, and even the interaction cross-section for the proton component. During the Conference we will present our latest measurements of average Xmax and fluctuations of Xmax as a function of energy. In this paper we give a general outline of the Xmax analysis and the improvements made with respect to previously published results.