A large area limited streamer tube detector for the air shower experiment KASCADE-Grande

The muon detection facilities of the Central Detector of the cosmic ray experiment KASCADE(-Grande) have been extended by a system of limited streamer tube (LST) detectors, recently brought into operation. This detector system improves the efficiency and the multiplicity resolution of the high-energy muon detection by the setup of large-area position sensitive wire proportional chambers (MWPC) of the Central Detector, currently used in extensive air showers (EAS) investigations of KASCADE. The present work describes the technical layout and operation of the LST system, the methods and procedures for studying the characteristics and performance of this detector component, and the reconstruction of basic EAS observables: the total number, the density and the spatial distributions of EAS particles registered with the LST system. Special emphasis is put on the discussion of the uncertainties. Average number of hits as well as muon number (for E μ > 2.4 GeV ) and density spectra are presented for illustrating the operation of the LST. The information about the spatial pattern is parameterized in terms of fractal moments. The information content of the EAS observables of the LST system is demonstrated using Monte Carlo simulations with the program CORSIKA.