The Observation of upgoing charged particles produced by high-energy muons in underground detectors

Collaboration
Nov, 1997
18 pages
Published in:
  • Astropart.Phys. 9 (1998) 105-117
e-Print:
Report number:
  • INFN-AE-97-55
Experiments:

Citations per year

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Abstract: (Elsevier)
An experimental study of the production of up-going charged particles in inelastic interactions of down-going underground muons is reported, using data obtained from the MACRO detector at the Gran Sasso Laboratory. In a sample of 12.2 × 10 6 single muons, corresponding to a detector lifetime of 1.55 y , 243 events are observed having an up-going particle associated with a down-going muon. These events are analysed to determine the range and emission angle distributions of the up-going particle, corrected for detection and reconstruction efficiency. Measurements of the muon neutrino flux by underground detectors are often based on the observation of through-going and stopping muons produced in ν μ interactions in the rock below the detector. Up-going particles produced by an undetected down-going muon are a potential background source in these measurements. The implications of this background for neutrino studies using MACRO are discussed.
Note:
  • 18 pages, 9 figures. Accepted by Astrop. Physics Report-no: INFN-AE 97/55
  • muon: cosmic radiation
  • muon nucleus: interaction
  • pi: electroproduction
  • angular distribution
  • pi: particle identification
  • efficiency
  • neutrino/mu: particle identification
  • background
  • numerical calculations: Monte Carlo
  • MACRO