Propagation and secondary production of low-energy antiprotons in the atmosphere.

Abstract

Current theories, in which the observed antiproton component is attributed strictly to secondary production in high energy inelastic collisions of protons with the interstellar medium or the atmosphere, apparently fail to explain the relatively high p vertical intensities measured at mountain and balloon altitudes. Therefore, a more careful calculation of the theoretical secondary intensity spectra is required before more exotic sources for these excess p's can be explored. A one dimensional diffusion equation is used to calculate the expected vertical intensity of p's due only to secondary production in the atmosphere; any assumed primary p spectrum is also included. Two adjustable parameters, the inelasticity and charge exchange in nucleon-nucleus collisions, were included in the algorithm. In order to obtain an independent estimate of their values the proton vertical intensities in the atmosphere were calculated, adjusting the parameters until the curves fit the experimental proton data, and then assumed that these values were identical in antinucleon-nucleus collisions.