Azimuthal asymmetries of the charged particle densities in EAS in the range of KASCADE-Grande

The reconstruction of Extended Air Showers (EAS) observed by ground level particle detectors is based on the characteristics of observables like particle lateral density (PLD), arrival time signals etc. Lateral densities, inferred from detector data, are usually parameterized by applying various lateral distribution functions (LDF). The LDFs are used in turn for evaluating quantities like the total number of particles, the density at particular radial distances. Typical expressions for LDFs anticipate azimuthal symmetry of the density around the shower axis. The deviations of the particle lateral density from this assumption are smoothed out in the case of compact arrays like KASCADE, but not in the case of arrays like Grande, which only sample a smaller part of the azimuthal variation. In this report we discuss the origin of the asymmetry: geometric, attenuation and geomagnetic effects. Geometric effects occur in the case of inclined showers, due to the fact that the observations are made in a plane different from the intrinsic shower plane. Hence the projection procedure from the observational plane to the relevant normal shower plane plays a significant role. Attenuation effects arise from the differences between the distances travelled by particles that reach the ground at the same radial coordinate but with various azimuthal positions in the case of inclined showers. The influence of the geomagnetic field distorts additionally the charged particle distributions in a way specific to the geomagnetic location. Based on dedicated CORSIKA simulations we have evaluated the magnitude of the effects. Focused to geometric and attenuation effects, procedures for minimizing the effects of the azimuthal asymmetry of lateral density in the intrinsic shower plane were developed. The consequences of the reconstruction of the charge particle sizes determined with the Grande array are also discussed and a procedure for practical application of restoring the azimuthal symmetry is outlined. (orig.)