Energy calibration of large underwater detectors using stopping muons

We propose to use stopping cosmic-ray muons in the energy calibration of pl anned and deployed large underwater detectors. The method is based on the p roportionality between the incident muon energy and the length of the muon path before it stops. Simultaneous measurements of the muon path and the am plitude of the signal from the photomultiplier tubes allow a relation betwe en the energy deposited in the sensitive volume of the detector and the obs erved signal to be derived, and also provide a test of detector simulations . We describe the proposed method and present the results of simulations. ( C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.