Lateral structure of electrons in an extensive air shower

The relation between the longitudinal development and the lateral distribution of electrons in extensive air shower is theoretically investigated by a simulation study. The results show that the features of the first collision are not the main factor that govern the fluctuation of the lateral distribution. The attenuation length and the lateral distribution of electrons are strongly correlated. The correlation, which is described by a simple formula, is insensitive to the gross value of inelasticity but is sensitive to the details of energy distribution among the secondary particles. A comparison of experimental results with this relation suggests that the multiple meson production mechanism at air shower energies (>=100 TeV) is different from that at <=1 TeV. (author)