ABSTRACT

An application of plasma effect for the emulation of the fluorescence emerging along the Extensive Air Showers created by the nuclear interactions of Ultra High Energy Cosmic ray particles with the atmosphere is presented. We designed and used an appropriate high-resolution spectrograph in order to study the spectral lines of nitrogen atmospheric molecules. We are aiming to achieve adequate signal to noise ratio, in a running period in operating accelerator experiments using electron beams at high energies, so that the main N₂ peaks in the UV region as well as their rotational excitations are resolved. The designed spectrograph constitutes a compromise between the sufficient resolution and the required sensitivity demands. For the emulation, a low pressure spectral lamp filled with air is used and typical spectra are presented. Our facility can be of use in studying other plasma spectral features at about 0.05 nm resolution.