Simulation of the high-energy electromagnetic showers in oriented crystals

Authors

  • Viktor V. Tikhomirov Institute for Nuclear Problems, Belarusian State University, 11 Babrujskaja Street, Minsk 220006, Belarus
  • Viktar V. Haurylavets Institute for Nuclear Problems, Belarusian State University, 11 Babrujskaja Street, Minsk 220006, Belarus
  • Alexander S. Lobko Institute for Nuclear Problems, Belarusian State University, 11 Babrujskaja Street, Minsk 220006, Belarus
  • Mikita S. Sachyuka Belarusian State University, 4 Niezaliezhnasci Avenue, Minsk 220030, Belarus
  • Sergey L. Cherkas Institute for Nuclear Problems, Belarusian State University, 11 Babrujskaja Street, Minsk 220006, Belarus

Keywords:

electrons; positrons, gamma-quanta, relativistic particles, radiation, pair production, simulation, electromagnetic showers, electromagnetic cascades
Supporting Agencies
The work was carried out with the financial support of the Belarusian Republican Foundation for Fundamental Research (project F22MC-006 «Development of means for simulating the processes of gamma-quanta emission by electrons and positrons, the production of electron-positron pairs by high-energy gamma-quanta and cascade sequences of these processes in oriented crystals and their applications in high-energy physics»).

Abstract

The sequences of processes of gamma-quanta emission by electrons and positrons and of the production of electron-positron pairs by gamma-quanta that form electromagnetic showers play the significant role in the formation of the spectra of hard electromagnetic radiation of astrophysical sources, in the passage of cosmic radiation through the atmophere, as well as in the measurement of the energy of electrons, positrons and gamma-quanta by electromagnetic calorimeters, used in high-energy physics and on orbital gamma-ray telescopes. Extensive theoretical and experimental studies have showed in the 1950–80s, that when particles move at angles of the order of a degree or less with respect to the axes and planes of crystals, the processes of scattering, radiation and pair production exhibit a coherent nature and undergo qualitative changes. Depending on the atomic number of a crystal ions, the degree of coherent increase in the radiation intensity and the probability of pair production multiply 10–100 times at energies from tenths to units of teraelectronvolt, leading to an equally large-scale reduction in the effective radiation length, which characterises the rate of a shower development. To numerically simulate high-energy electromagnetic showers in the oriented crystals, the programme has been developed that combines the methods for describing coherent processes of scattering, radiation and pair production in a crystal lattice at high energies and small deviations of particle momenta from the main crystalline directions, developed by us and tested jointly with scientists from the University of Ferrara and the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) (Italy) at the European Centre for Nuclear Research (CERN), with the Geant4 toolkit algorithms for simulating similar processes in the approximation of an amorphous medium at low energies and large deflections. The programme can be used both for reliable simulations of the characteristics of electromagnetic showers in crystals at present and for implementation of upgraded theoretical approaches in order to improve the accuracy and productivity of simulations in the future.

Author Biographies

  • Viktor V. Tikhomirov, Institute for Nuclear Problems, Belarusian State University, 11 Babrujskaja Street, Minsk 220006, Belarus

    doctor of science (physics and mathema­ tics), full professor; chief researcher at the laboratory of radiation safety

  • Viktar V. Haurylavets, Institute for Nuclear Problems, Belarusian State University, 11 Babrujskaja Street, Minsk 220006, Belarus

    researcher at the laboratory of radiation safety

  • Alexander S. Lobko, Institute for Nuclear Problems, Belarusian State University, 11 Babrujskaja Street, Minsk 220006, Belarus

    doctor of science (physics and mathema­ tics), docent; deputy director for research

  • Mikita S. Sachyuka, Belarusian State University, 4 Niezaliezhnasci Avenue, Minsk 220030, Belarus

    postgraduate student at the department of nuclear physics, faculty of physics

  • Sergey L. Cherkas, Institute for Nuclear Problems, Belarusian State University, 11 Babrujskaja Street, Minsk 220006, Belarus

    PhD (physics and mathematics); leading researcher at the laboratory of fundamental interactions

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Published

2024-09-30

Issue

No. 3 (2024): Journal of the Belarusian State University. Physics

Section

Atomic Nucleus and Elementary Particle Physics

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How to Cite

(1)
Tikhomirov, V. V. .; Haurylavets, V. V. .; Lobko, A. S. .; Sachyuka, M. S. .; Cherkas, S. L. . Simulation of the High-Energy Electromagnetic Showers in Oriented Crystals. Журнал Белорусского государственного университета. Физика 2024, No. 3, 50-61.