CHESS: a rapid Cherenkov and Electromagnetic Shower Simulator

We present a new Cherenkov and Electromagnetic Shower Simulator, called CHESS. This code, a full three-dimensional Monte Carlo, is targeted to the primary energy range 10^14 - 10^17 eV and is more than ten times faster than existing codes. Using CHESS, we have investigated Cherenkov emission characteristics, with the aim of producing a parameterization of the light yield. This parameterization is presented, allowing even faster calculation of Cherenkov light production. The parameterization is implemented at the emission level, preserving all relevant fluctuation and correlation information in the shower.