Difficulties with interpretations of underground muons from Cygnus X-3

Abstract

The consequences of experimental constraints are developed and investigated on interpretations of extended air showers (EAS) and underground muons from Cygnus X-3 involving new particles which are called cygnets. The large angular spread of the muons observed in the NUSEX experiment and the large ratio of muon and EAS fluxes suggest that the muons have low energies and are produced in the Earth close to the detector. The estimate is that 4 × 10 −30cm 2 > σ cygnet-nucleon > 2 × 10 −30cm 2 and the muons have energies O(100) GeV. It is difficult to reconcile the existence of such a cygnet with beam dump experiments, unless one speculates on another parent particle decaying into the cygnet. All theoretical models for the cygnet known to us have severe difficulties.