The cosmic-ray air-shower signal in Askaryan radio detectors

Abstract

We discuss the radio emission from high-energy cosmic-ray induced air showers hitting Earth's surface before the cascade has died out in the atmosphere. The induced emission gives rise to a radio signal which should be detectable in the currently operating Askaryan radio detectors built to search for the GZK neutrino flux in ice. The in-air emission, the in-ice emission, as well as a new component, the coherent transition radiation when the particle bunch crosses the air-ice boundary, are included in the calculations.