EXTENSIVE AIR SHOWERS OF VERY HIGH-ENERGIES

A viable description of experimental data on cosmic rays in the energy range 10(18)-10(19) eV is obtained on the basis of the quark-gluon-st ring model. The Landau-Pomeranchuk-Migdal effect and interactions of n eutral pions are taken into account in this description. Data on the f raction of muons in inclined and vertical showers, as well as on the l ongitudinal development of showers, are adequately reproduced by calcu lations performed under the assumption that primary cosmic radiation c onsists of protons, For the energies of three huge showers reported in the literature, previous estimates in the range (3-5) x 10(19) eV are confirmed. The slope parameter b(mu) of the spatial distribution of m uons is found to be dependent on the distance from the shower core. No vel minimax approaches to interpreting experimental data and, in parti cular, to verifying the anomalous energy dependence of b(mu) are advoc ated.