MARTA: a high-energy cosmic-ray detector concept for high-accuracy muon measurement

A new concept for the direct measurement of muonsin air showersis presented. The concept is based on resistive plate chambers (RPCs), which can directly measure muonswith very good space and time resolution. The muon detectoris shielded by placing it under another detectorable to absorb and measure the electromagnetic component of the showerssuch as a water- Cherenkov detector, commonly used in air showerarrays. The combination of the two detectorsin a single, compact detectorunit provides a unique measurement that opens rich possibilities in the study of air showers.