AAfrag: Interpolation routines for Monte Carlo results on secondary production in proton–proton, proton–nucleus and nucleus–nucleus interactions

Abstract

We provide a compilation of predictions of the QGSJET-II-04m model for the production of secondary species (photons, neutrinos, electrons, positrons, and antinucleons) that are covering a wide range of energies of the beam particles in proton-proton, proton-nucleus, nucleus-proton, and nucleus-nucleus reactions. The current version of QGSJET-II-04m has an improved treatment of the production of secondary particles at low energies: the parameters of the hadronization procedure have been fine-tuned, based on a number of recent benchmark experimental data, notably, from the LHCf, LHCb, and NA61 experiments. Our results for the production spectra are made publicly accessible through the interpolation routines AAfrag which are described below. Besides, we comment on the impact of Feynman scaling violation and isospin symmetry effects on antinucleon production.

Cosmic ray models

“…In general, however, production cross sections calculated for the specific primary and target nuclei should be used, which are provided e.g. by the parametrisation AAfrag [131].…”

Galactic halo size in the light of recent AMS-02 data

“…Our analysis is mostly sensitive to the low-energy part, so the latter model is only used to get a rough estimate of the theoretical uncertainties in the production cross sections. The secondary positron flux is 10-20% larger with Kachelrieß et al (2019) than with Kamae et al (2006) values.…”

“…Concerning production cross-section uncertainties, we recall that we use Kamae et al (2006) parametrisation. More recent values exist (Kachelrieß et al 2019) -they are calibrated on more recent collider data and include incident and target species up to Fe -, but they are only valid for incident nucleus energy greater than 4 GeV. Our analysis is mostly sensitive to the low-energy part, so the latter model is only used to get a rough estimate of the theoretical uncertainties in the production cross sections.…”

Deciphering the Local Interstellar Spectra of Secondary Nuclei with the Galprop/Helmod Framework and a Hint for Primary Lithium in Cosmic Rays

“…GALPROP calculates production of secondary particles in pp-, pA-, Ap-, AA-interactions. Calculations ofp production and propagation are detailed in Moskalenko et al (2002), , and Kachelriess et al (2015Kachelriess et al ( , 2019. Production of neutral mesons (π 0 , K 0 ,K 0 , etc.…”

“…Production of neutral mesons (π 0 , K 0 ,K 0 , etc. ), and secondary e ± is calculated using the formalism by Dermer (1986a,b), as described in , or recent parameterizations by Kamae et al (2006), Kachelrieß & Ostapchenko (2012), Kachelriess et al (2014Kachelriess et al ( , 2019. γ-ray production and synchrotron emission are calculated using the propagated CR distributions, including primary e − , secondary e ± , and for γ-rays -including secondary p from inelastic processes (Strong et al 2004(Strong et al , 2010Porter et al 2008;Orlando & Strong 2013).…”