The detector system for measurement of multiple cosmic muons in the central detector of KASCADE

A detector system for directional and time correlation measurements of multiple cosmic muons has been set up within the extensive air shower experiment KASCADE. The system consists of two layers (129 m(2) area each) of position-sensitive multiwire proportional chambers (MWPC) triggered by a layer of segmented plastic scintillation counters placed upon an iron/concrete shielding above the MWPCs. Operation conditions and performance of the MWPCs have been studied by means of a prototype arrangement consisting of a stack of four detectors and two trigger layers. Results of the detailed prototype studies are presented and discussed. In particular, it has been found that for the present purposes an operation with a commonly used argon-methane gas mixture instead of previously used argon-isobutane leads to an excellent performance. The chambers are integrated into the KASCADE experiment as described and are in continuous operation since 1996. Some typical measurements with the full detector assembly are used to illustrate which features of extensive air showers can be studied. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.