Spectrally resolved pressure dependence measurements of air fluorescence emission with AIRFLY

The knowledge of the fluorescence emission as a function of atmospheric parameters is essential for the detection of extensive air showers with the fluorescence technique. In this paper, we summarize AIRFLY published measurements of the pressure dependence of the fluorescence yield. The spectral distribution Of the fluorescent light between 280 and 429nm has been Measured with high resolution. Relative intensities of 34 spectral lines have been determined. The pressure dependence of 25 lines was measured in terms Of quenching reference pressures p(lambda)'. in air. This set of AIRFLY Measurements yields the most comprehensive parametrization of the pressure dependence of the fluorescent spectrum. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.