The observation of up-going charged particles produced by high energy muons in underground detectors

Ambrosio, M; Antolini, R; Aramo, C; Auriemma, G; Baldini, A; Barbarino, Gc; Barish, Bc; Battistoni, G; Bellotti, R; Bemporad, C; Bernardini, P; Bilokon, H; Bisi, V; Bloise, C; Bower, C; Bussino, S; Cafagna, F; Calicchio, M; Campana, D; Carboni, M; Castellano, Marcello; Cecchini, S; Cei, F; Chiarella, V; Coutu, S; Cunti, G; De Benedictis, L; De Cataldo, G; Dekhissi, H; De Marzo, C; De Mitri, I; De Vincenzi, M; Di Credico, A; Erriquez, O; Favuzzi, C; Forti, C; Fusco, P; Giacomelli, G; Giannini, G; Giglietto, Nicola; Grassi, M; Gray, L; Grillo, A; Guarino, F; Guarnaccia, P; Gustavino, C; Habig, A; Hanson, K; Hawthorne, A; Heinz, R; Iarocci, E; Katsavounidis, E; Kearns, E; Kyriazopoulou, S; Lamanna, E; Lane, C; Levin, Ds; Lipari, P; Longley, Np; Longo, Mj; Maaroufi, F; Mancarella, G; Mandrioli, G; Manzoor, S; Neri, Am; Marini, A; Martello, D; Marzari Chiesa, A; Mazziotta, Mn; Mazzotta, C; Michael, Dg; Mikheyev, S; Miller, L; Monacelli, P; Montaruli, T; Monteno, M; Mufson, S; Musser, J; Nicolo, D; Nolty, R; Okada, C; Orth, C; Osteria, G; Palamara, O; Patera, V; Patrizi, L; Pazzi, R; Peck, Cw; Petrera, S; Pistilli, P; Popa, V; Pugliese, V; Raino, A; Reynoldson, J; Ronga, F; Rubizzo, U; Sanzgiri, A; Satriano, C; Satta, L; Scapparone, E; Scholberg, K; Sciubba, A; Serra Lugares, P; Severi, M; Sioli, M; Sitta, M; Spinelli, P; Spinetti, M; Spurio, M; Steinberg, R; Stone, Jl; Sulak, Lr; Surdo, A; Tarle, G; Togo, V; Walter, Cw; Webb, R.

doi:10.1016/S0927-6505(98)00010-3

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 x 10(6) single muons, corresponding to a detector lifetime of 1.55y, 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 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.

The observation of up-going charged particles produced by high energy muons in underground detectors / Ambrosio, M; Antolini, R; Aramo, C; Auriemma, G; Baldini, A; Barbarino, Gc; Barish, Bc; Battistoni, G; Bellotti, R; Bemporad, C; Bernardini, P; Bilokon, H; Bisi, V; Bloise, C; Bower, C; Bussino, S; Cafagna, F; Calicchio, M; Campana, D; Carboni, M; Castellano, Marcello; Cecchini, S; Cei, F; Chiarella, V; Coutu, S; Cunti, G; De Benedictis, L; De Cataldo, G; Dekhissi, H; De Marzo, C; De Mitri, I; De Vincenzi, M; Di Credico, A; Erriquez, O; Favuzzi, C; Forti, C; Fusco, P; Giacomelli, G; Giannini, G; Giglietto, Nicola; Grassi, M; Gray, L; Grillo, A; Guarino, F; Guarnaccia, P; Gustavino, C; Habig, A; Hanson, K; Hawthorne, A; Heinz, R; Iarocci, E; Katsavounidis, E; Kearns, E; Kyriazopoulou, S; Lamanna, E; Lane, C; Levin, Ds; Lipari, P; Longley, Np; Longo, Mj; Maaroufi, F; Mancarella, G; Mandrioli, G; Manzoor, S; Neri, Am; Marini, A; Martello, D; Marzari Chiesa, A; Mazziotta, Mn; Mazzotta, C; Michael, Dg; Mikheyev, S; Miller, L; Monacelli, P; Montaruli, T; Monteno, M; Mufson, S; Musser, J; Nicolo, D; Nolty, R; Okada, C; Orth, C; Osteria, G; Palamara, O; Patera, V; Patrizi, L; Pazzi, R; Peck, Cw; Petrera, S; Pistilli, P; Popa, V; Pugliese, V; Raino, A; Reynoldson, J; Ronga, F; Rubizzo, U; Sanzgiri, A; Satriano, C; Satta, L; Scapparone, E; Scholberg, K; Sciubba, A; Serra Lugares, P; Severi, M; Sioli, M; Sitta, M; Spinelli, P; Spinetti, M; Spurio, M; Steinberg, R; Stone, Jl; Sulak, Lr; Surdo, A; Tarle, G; Togo, V; Walter, Cw; Webb, R.. - In: ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS. - ISSN 0927-6505. - STAMPA. - 9:2(1998), pp. 105-117. [10.1016/S0927-6505(98)00010-3]