Modern cosmic ray experiments consisting of large array of particle detectors measure the signals of electromagnetic or muon components or their combination. The correction for an amount of atmosphere passed is applied to the surface detector signal
before its conversion to the shower energy. Either Monte Carlo based approach assuming certain composition of primaries or indirect estimation using real data and assuming isotropy of arrival directions can be used. Toy surface arrays of different sensitivities to electromagnetic and muon components are assumed in MC simulations to study effects imposed on attenuation curves for varying composition or possible high energy anisotropy. The possible sensitivity of the attenuation curve to the mass composition is also tested for different array types focusing on a future apparatus that can separate muon and electromagnetic component signals.
Large surface arrays of current cosmic ray experiments measure the signals of electromagnetic or muonic components or their combination. The correction to the zenith angle (the attenuation curve) has to be taken into account before the signal is conv
erted to the shower energy. Either Monte Carlo simulations or indirect estimation using collected data (Constant Intensity Cut method) can be used. However, the assumptions of composition or isotropy used for the determination of the attenuation curve can still influence the final physics results such as the energy spectrum, or modify anisotropy searches and composition analysis. Using simplified Toy Monte Carlo with an output from CORSIKA simulations we try to find several examples of what kind of effects can be caused by the methods of inferring the attenuation curve. Surface arrays of different sensitivities to electromagnetic and muonic components were considered.
