THE OBSERVATION OF UP-GOING CHARGED-PARTICLES PRODUCED BY HIGH-ENERGYMUONS IN UNDERGROUND DETECTORS

Citation
M. Ambrosio et al., THE OBSERVATION OF UP-GOING CHARGED-PARTICLES PRODUCED BY HIGH-ENERGYMUONS IN UNDERGROUND DETECTORS, Astroparticle physics, 9(2), 1998, pp. 105-117
Citations number
18
Categorie Soggetti
Astronomy & Astrophysics","Physics, Particles & Fields
Journal title
ISSN journal
09276505
Volume
9
Issue
2
Year of publication
1998
Pages
105 - 117
Database
ISI
SICI code
0927-6505(1998)9:2<105:TOOUCP>2.0.ZU;2-D
Abstract
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 Laborat ory. In a sample of 12.2 x 10(6) single muons, corresponding to a dete ctor lifetime of 1.55y, 243 events are observed having an up-going par ticle associated with a down-going muon. These events are analysed to determine the range and emission angle distributions of the up-going p article, corrected for detection and reconstruction efficiency. Measur ements of the muon neutrino flux by underground detectors are often ba sed on the observation of through-going and stopping muons produced in v(mu) 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. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.