PRODUCTION OF ANTIPROTONS IN THE UPPER-ATMOSPHERE BY INTERACTING PRIMARY COSMIC-RAYS

We calculate the (p) over bar background in the upper atmosphere which results when primary cosmic rays interact with air nuclei. Since the (p) over bar yield from p-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus interactions is not directly known from experiments, we derive these quantities by usi ng a Monte Carlo simulation which is theoretically based on the dual p arton model and which had been successfully applied to the description of hadron production in high energy collisions. Results on the calcul ated atmospheric (p) over bar background indicate a larger (p) over ba r background than earlier estimates predicted, particularly at low ene rgies.