Muon Spectrum Research Articles

Spectrum and charge ratio of vertical cosmic ray muons up to momenta of 2.5 TeV/c

The ALEPH detector at LEP has been used to measure the momentum spectrum and charge ratio of vertical cosmic ray muons underground. The sea-level cosmic ray muon spectrum for momenta up to 2.5TeV/c has been obtained by correcting for the overburden of 320m water equivalent (mwe). The results are compared with Monte Carlo models for air shower development in the atmosphere. From the analysis of the spectrum the total flux and the spectral index of the cosmic ray primaries is inferred. The charge ratio suggests a dominantly light composition of cosmic ray primaries with energies in the energy range between 103 and 105GeV.

Muon-spin-rotation study of muon polarization losses in plastic scintillators and quartz

Muon polarization losses in plastic scintillators of two types and in fused quartz have been studied by the μSR method. The muon and muonium spin precession spectra have been measured on the μSR setup placed at the output of the muon channel of the Gatchina synchrocyclotron. It has been shown that a significant fraction of stopped muons participate in the formation of the muonium. As a result, these muons lose their polarization completely. The magnitude of muon depolarization depends considerably on the type of plastic. It has been found that the muon spin precession frequency in fused quartz in an external magnetic field (FQ, μ = 0.116 ± 0.002 MHz) is shifted with respect to that in plastic scintillators (F1, μ = 0.101 ± 0.005 MHz and F2, μ = 0.101 ± 0.002 MHz).

Influence of hadronic interaction models and the cosmic ray spectrum on the high-energy atmospheric muon and neutrino flux

The recent observations of muon charge ratio up to about 10 TeV and of atmospheric neutrinos up to energies of about 400 TeV has triggered a renewed interest into the high-energy interaction models and cosmic ray primary composition. A reviewed calculation of lepton spectra produced in cosmic ray induced extensive air showers is carried out with a primary cosmic ray spectrum that fits the latest direct measurements below the knee. In order to achieve this, we used a full Monte Carlo method to derive the inclusive differential spectra (yields) of muons, muon neutrinos and electron neutrinos at the surface for energies between 80 GeV and hundreds of PeV. Using these results the differential flux and the flavor ratios of leptons were calculated. The air shower simulator CORSIKA 6.990 was used for showering and propagation of the secondary particles through the atmosphere, employing the established high energy hadronic interaction models SIBYLL 2.1, QGSJet-01 and QGSJet-II-03. We show that the performance of the interaction models allows makes it possible to predict the spectra within experimental uncertainties, while SIBYLL generally yields a higher flux at the surface than the QGSJet models. The calculation of the flavor and charge ratios has lead to inconsistent results, mainly influenced by the different representations of the K/π ratio within the models. The influence of the knee of cosmic rays is reflected in the secondary spectra at energies between 100 and 200 TeV. Furthermore, we could quantify systematic uncertainties of atmospheric muon- and neutrino fluxes, associated to the models of the primary cosmic ray spectrum and the interaction models. For most recent parametrizations of the cosmic ray primary spectrum, atmospheric muons can be determined with an uncertainty smaller than +15/-13% of the average flux. Uncertainties of the muon and electron neutrino fluxes can be calculated within an average error of +32/-22% and +25/-19%, respectively. See the published paper [1].

Influence of hadronic interaction models and the cosmic ray spectrum on the high-energy atmospheric muon and neutrino flux

The recent observations of muon charge ratio up to about 10 TeV and of atmospheric neutrinos up to energies of about 400 TeV has triggered a renewed interest into the high-energy interaction models and cosmic ray primary composition. A reviewed calculation of lepton spectra produced in cosmic ray induced extensive air showers is carried out with a primary cosmic ray spectrum that fits the latest direct measurements below the knee. In order to achieve this, we used a full Monte Carlo method to derive the inclusive differential spectra (yields) of muons, muon neutrinos and electron neutrinos at the surface for energies between 80 GeV and hundreds of PeV. Using these results the differential flux and the flavor ratios of leptons were calculated. The air shower simulator CORSIKA 6.990 was used for showering and propagation of the secondary particles through the atmosphere, employing the established high energy hadronic interaction models SIBYLL 2.1, QGSJet-01 and QGSJet-II-03. We show that the performance of the interaction models allows makes it possible to predict the spectra within experimental uncertainties, while SIBYLL generally yields a higher flux at the surface than the QGSJet models. The calculation of the flavor and charge ratios has lead to inconsistent results, mainly influenced by the different representations of the K/π ratio within the models. The influence of the knee of cosmic rays is reflected in the secondary spectra at energies between 100 and 200 TeV. Furthermore, we could quantify systematic uncertainties of atmospheric muon- and neutrino fluxes, associated to the models of the primary cosmic ray spectrum and the interaction models. For most recent parametrizations of the cosmic ray primary spectrum, atmospheric muons can be determined with an uncertainty smaller than +15/-13% of the average flux. Uncertainties of the muon and electron neutrino fluxes can be calculated within an average error of +32/-22% and +25/-19%, respectively. See the published paper [1].

New technique and results of cosmic ray investigations in the energy interval 1015–1019eV

New technique of EAS investigations based on the measurements of local muon density spectra (LMDS) is developed. Application of this method to investigations of inclined EAS allows exploration of CR energy interval from 10 15 to 10 19 eV by means of a relatively small detector with area ∼100m 2 due to very strong dependence of EAS muon density on zenith angle. During 2002-2007, long-term NEVOD- DECOR experiment (about 20,000h live time) was conducted, and more than two million muon bundles in zenith angle interval 30-88 degrees were registered. Comparison of experimental data with results of CORSIKA-based simulations showed that the new method is sensitive to all main peculiarities of CR energy spectrum: the knee, increase of the energy spectrum slope with energy, the second knee. But the observed progressive excess of muon bundles with the increase of primary CR energy in comparison with simulations (even for pure iron composition) can indicate the appearance of new processes of muon generation. In this case, for correct investigations of EAS, the experimental arrays must be supplemented by detectors which can measure or evaluate the energy of muons.

Influence of hadronic interaction models and the cosmic ray spectrum on the high energy atmospheric muon and neutrino flux

The recent observations of muon charge ratio up to about 10 TeV and of atmospheric neutrinos up to energies of about 400 TeV have triggered a renewed interest into the high-energy interaction models and cosmic-ray primary composition. A reviewed calculation of lepton spectra produced in cosmic-ray-induced extensive air showers is carried out with a primary cosmic-ray spectrum that fits the latest direct measurements below the knee. In order to achieve this, we used a full Monte Carlo method to derive the inclusive differential spectra (yields) of muons, muon neutrinos and electron neutrinos at the surface for energies between 80 GeV and hundreds of PeV. Using these results, the differential flux and the flavor ratios of leptons were calculated. The air shower simulator CORSIKA 6.990 was used for showering and propagation of the secondary particles through the atmosphere, employing the established high-energy hadronic interaction models SIBYLL 2.1, QGSJet-01 and QGSJet-II-03. We show that the performance of the interaction models makes it possible to predict the spectra within experimental uncertainties, while SIBYLL generally yields a higher flux at the surface than the QGSJet models. The calculation of the flavor and charge ratios has lead to inconsistent results, mainly influenced by the different representations of the $K/\ensuremath{\pi}$ ratio within the models. The influence of the knee of cosmic rays is reflected in the secondary spectra at energies between 100 and 200 TeV. Furthermore, we could quantify systematic uncertainties of atmospheric muon and neutrino fluxes, associated to the models of the primary cosmic-ray spectrum and the interaction models. For most recent parametrizations of the cosmic-ray primary spectrum, atmospheric muons can be determined with an uncertainty smaller than $\genfrac{}{}{0}{}{+15}{\ensuremath{-}13}%$ of the average flux. Uncertainties of the muon and electron neutrino fluxes can be calculated within an average error of $\genfrac{}{}{0}{}{+32}{\ensuremath{-}22}%$ and $\genfrac{}{}{0}{}{+25}{\ensuremath{-}19}%$, respectively.

High-energy spectra of atmospheric neutrinos

A calculation of the atmospheric high-energy muon neutrino spectra and zenith-angle distributions is performed for two primary spectrum parameterizations (by Gaisser and Honda and by Zatsepin and Sokolskaya) with the use of QGSJET-II-03 and SIBYLL 2.1 hadronic models. A comparison of the zenith angle-averaged muon neutrino spectrum with the data of Frejus, AMANDA-II, and IceCube40 experiments makes it clear that, even at energies above 100 TeV, the prompt neutrino contribution is not apparent because of the considerable uncertainties of the experimental data in the high-energy region.

Identify signatures of underground muons from atmospheric charm: Simulation study

Muons from the “prompt” decays of charmed mesons in cosmic ray air showers start to show abundance on the atmospheric muon spectrum from few tens of TeV. Study of these prompt muons have broader interest in particle and astroparticle physics. The measurement of prompt muon in air showers is challenging because of their low production rate and the large amount of conventional muons produced in company with them. This paper describes the simulation study of a method that identifies prompt muon signatures based on the pattern of stochastic energy losses by muon bundles in deep under ice. The systematics associated with different hadronic interaction models and cosmic ray primary composition assumptions were estimated. Using IceCube as an example, we briefly discussed the challenge of using this method in experimental data analysis.

BEAMING NEUTRINOS AND ANTI-NEUTRINOS ACROSS THE EARTH TO DISENTANGLE NEUTRINO MIXING PARAMETERS

A MINOS result seemed to hint a different anti-neutrino mass splitting and mixing angle with respect to the neutrino ones, offering a hint for a CPT violation in lepton sector. However more recent MINOS data reduced the neutrino-antineutrino differences leading to a narrow discrepancy almost compatible with no CPT violation, hard to be disentangled. Moreover last a few years of OPERA activity on tau appearance is still un-probed (one unique event). Both flavor muon-tau mixing, tau appearance and eventual CPT violation disentanglement need more tools to be enhanced. Atmospheric muon neutrino spectra and anisotropy in Deep Core at ten-tens GeV (yet unpublished) may test the muon-tau conversion but they can hardly reveal such last tiny MINOS CPT asymmetry. We show how the longest baseline neutrino oscillation available, crossing most of the Earth diameter, within an OPERA-like experiment from CERN (or FERMILAB) to ICECUBE-Deep Core neutrino detector at 21 GeV energy, may at best disentangle even last tiny CPT violation (within 6 sigma a year) while testing at highest rate tau-antitau appearance. We propose the muon neutrino disappearance or (for any CPT violation) the partial anti-muon appearance at the longest distances. Such a tuned detection experiment may lead to a clear and strong signature of tau or anti-tau generation (even within its neutral current noise background events): nearly one antitau or two tau a day. The tau appearance signal is above (or within) 10 sigma a year, even for 1% OPERA-like experiment. Peculiar configurations for theta_13 angle test and hierarchy neutrino mass test may also be addressed by a Deep Core-PINGU array detector observing electron neutrino shower at 6 GeV neutrino energy windows.

Energy spectrum of cosmic ray muons in ∼100 TeV energy region reconstructed from the BUST data

Inclusive differential and integral energy spectra of cosmic ray muons in the energy range from several TeV to ∼1PeV obtained by means of the analysis of multiple interactions of muons (pair meter technique) in the Baksan underground scintillation telescope (BUST) are presented. The results are compared with preceding BUST data on muon energy spectrum based on electromagnetic cascade shower measurements and depth-intensity curve analysis, with calculations for different muon spectrum models, and also with data of other experiments.

Distinguishing among dark matter annihilation channels with neutrino telescopes

We investigate the prospects for distinguishing dark matter annihilation channels using the neutrino flux from gravitationally captured dark matter particles annihilating inside the sun. We show that, even with experimental error in energy reconstruction taken into account, the spectrum of contained muon tracks may be used to discriminate neutrino final states from the gauge boson/charged lepton final states and to determine their corresponding branching ratios. We also discuss the effect of ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\ensuremath{\tau}}$ regeneration inside the sun as a novel method to distinguish the flavor of final state neutrinos. This effect as evidenced in the muon spectrum becomes important for dark matter masses above 300 GeV. Distinguishing primary neutrinos and their flavor may be achieved using multiyear data from a detector with the same capability and effective volume as the IceCube/DeepCore array.

Probing Majorana neutrinos in rare π + → e + e + μ − ν decays

We study the rare decays of charged π mesons, π + → e + e + μ − $ \overline v $ μ and π + → e + μ − e + ν e induced by a sterile neutrino N with a mass in the range m μ < m N < m π . The first process violates Lepton Number by two units and so occurs only if N is Majorana, while the second process conserves Lepton Number and occurs irrespective of the Majorana or Dirac character of N . We study a way to distinguish the Majorana vs. Dirac character of N in these processes using the muon spectrum. We also find that the branching ratios could be at the reach of high luminosity experiments like Project X at FNAL or any proposed neutrino (or muon) factories worldwide.

Thermal destruction of spin-polaron bands in the narrow-gap correlated semiconductors FeGa3 and FeSb2

We report muon spin rotation spectra in the narrow-gap semiconductors FeGa3 and FeSb2 consistent with a narrow band of small spin polarons (SPs). The characteristic sizes obtained for these SPs are RFeGa3 ≈ 0.3–0.6 nm and RFeSb 2 ≈ 0.3 nm, respectively. Such SP states are expected to originate from the exchange correlations between localized and itinerant electrons. Our data suggest that SP bands are formed at low temperature, but are destroyed by thermal fluctuations above 10 K in FeGa3 and above 7 K in FeSb2. Formation of such SP band states can explain many of the low-temperature properties of these materials.

NEVOD–DECOR experiment and evidences for quark–gluon plasma in cosmic rays

New method of EAS investigations by local muon density spectra and results of muon bundles detection in NEVOD–DECOR experiment are considered. The observed excess of muon bundles from very high energy cosmic rays and results of some other experiments which are evident for an additional flux of very high energy muons are analyzed. A possibility of their explanation through quark–gluon plasma blob production and its consecutive decay is discussed. The ways of experimental checks of this model are considered.

Superluminal Neutrinos at OPERA Confront Pion Decay Kinematics

Violation of Lorentz invariance (VLI) has been suggested as an explanation of the superluminal velocities of muon neutrinos reported by OPERA. In this Letter, we show that the amount of VLI required to explain this result poses severe difficulties with the kinematics of the pion decay, extending its lifetime and reducing the momentum carried away by the neutrinos. We show that the OPERA experiment limits α=(ν(ν)-c)/c<4×10(-6). We then take recourse to cosmic-ray data on the spectrum of muons and neutrinos generated in Earth's atmosphere to provide a stronger bound on VLI: (ν-c)/c<10(-12).

On the energy spectrum of cosmic ray muons in 100 TeV region

The energy spectrum of cosmic ray muons in the energy range from several TeV to 1 PeV obtained by means of the analysis of multiple interactions of muons (pair meter technique) in the Baksan underground scintilla- tion telescope is presented. Some evidence for the additional 5

Baksan Underground Scintillation Telescope upgrade and DAQ of additional layers

The project of the Baksan Underground Scintil- lation Telescope (BUST) upgrade is presented. Additional outer layers of the detectors with fine spatial resolution will be mounted around BUST. Optimal dimensions of a counter, 0.125m◊ 0.125m◊ 0.03m were chosen with a simulation program. The functional diagram of BUSTs DAQ additional layers is presented. Modernization allows us to study the knee region using muon number spectrum measurements. BUST located underground at a depth of 850 m of wa- ter equivalent was designed to solve a number of physical problems which predetermined its construction and location (Alekseev et al., 1998). The telescope is a four-store building with dimensions of 16.7m◊ 16.7m◊ 11.1m and consists of four horizontal and four vertical planes. The total number of detectors is 3180. The analysis of the muon groups registered by BUST gives us an opportunity to obtain information about spectrum and composition of primary cosmic rays in the energy range of 1013 1016 eV (Petkov et al., 2008). The coordinates of fired detectors give the initial information for identification parameters of muon groups (arrival direction and number of muon tracks). In general, the number of muons cross- ing the telescope, n, and the number of the reconstructed muon tracks in a selected event, ntr, should not necessar- ily coincide with each other. When two or more muons are crossing BUST close enough to each other (comparable with the size of the detector), the number of reconstructed muon tracks will be less than the number of muons crossing BUST. Construction of additional external scintillation layers pro-

Measurement of forward-rapidity heavy-flavour muons in proton-proton collisions at [formula omitted] with ALICE

We report the first results of the ALICE experiment on heavy-flavour measurements at forward 1 1 In this paper “forward” means in the LHC clockwise stream with respect to the interaction point. rapidity ( − 4 < η < − 2.5 ) in the muonic decay channel. The data have been collected during the proton-proton collisions at s = 7 TeV . In the ALICE program, the heavy-flavour detection in nucleon-nucleon interactions has a central role both as a test of perturbative QCD and as a baseline for the study of matter at high energy densities in heavy-ion collisions. The extraction of the heavy-flavour signal in the inclusive muon spectra requires the subtraction of the contribution from the decay-in-flight of light hadrons and from particles produced in the absorption elements. The details of the analysis and the main results will be discussed in this paper.

Energy spectrum of cosmic ray muons above 10 TeV according to BUST data

The energy spectrum of cosmic ray muons in the range of several TeV to PeV obtained through the analysis of multiple interactions of muons (the pair meter technique) in the Baksan Underground Scintillation Telescope (BUST) is presented. Results are compared with prior BUST data on the muon energy spectrum measurements and data of other experiments, along with calculations for different muon spectrum models.

Magnetic structure and spin dynamics of the quasi-one-dimensional spin-chain antiferromagnetBaCo2V2O8

We report a neutron diffraction and muon spin relaxation $\ensuremath{\mu}$SR study of static and dynamical magnetic properties of ${\mathrm{BaCo}}_{2}{\mathrm{V}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{8}$, a quasi-one-dimensional spin-chain system. A proposed model for the antiferromagnetic structure includes: a propagation vector ${\mathrm{kP\vec}}_{\text{AF}}=(0,0,1)$, independent of external magnetic fields for fields below a critical value ${H}_{c}(T)$. The ordered moments of 2.18 ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$ per Co ion are aligned along the crystallographic $c$ axis. Within the screw chains, along the $c$ axis, the moments are arranged antiferromagnetically. In the basal planes the spins are arranged ferromagnetically (forming zigzag paths) along one of the axes and antiferromagnetically along the other. The temperature dependence of the sublattice magnetization is consistent with the expectations of the three-dimensional (3D) Ising model. A similar behavior is observed for the internal static fields at different muon stopping sites. Muon time spectra measured at weak longitudinal fields and temperatures much higher than ${T}_{N}$ can be well described using a single muon site with an exponential muon spin relaxation that gradually changes into an stretched exponential on approaching ${T}_{N}$. The temperature-induced changes of the relaxation suggest that the Co fluctuations dramatically slow down and the system becomes less homogeneous as it approaches the antiferromagnetic state.