Electron- and muon-neutrino content of the atmospheric flux

Journal Article · Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1992 · Physical Review, D (Particles Fields); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.46.3720· OSTI ID:7197685

Becker-Szendy, R; Bratton, C B; Casper, D; Dye, S T; Gajewski, W; Goldhaber, M; Haines, T J; Halverson, P G; Kielczewska, D; Kropp, W R; Learned, J G; LoSecco, J M; Matsuno, S; McGrath, G; McGrew, C; Miller, R; Price, L R; Reines, F; Schultz, J; Sobel, H W ; Stone, J L; Sulak, L R; Svoboda, R ^[1]

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1. Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215 (United States) Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973 (United States) Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio 44115 (United States) The University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822 (United States) The University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California 92717 (United States) Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803-4001 (United States) The University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742 (United States) University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556 (United States) Warsaw University, Warsaw (Poland)

Neutrino interactions from a 7.7 kton yr exposure of the IMB-3 detector are analyzed. A total of 935 contained events radiating over {similar to}50 MeV of {hacek C}erenkov-equivalent energy and consistent with atmospheric neutrino interactions are identified. Of these, 610 have a single {hacek C}erenkov ring. Single-ring interactions are efficiently separated into those containing a showering particle (produced mainly by {nu}{sub {ital e}}) and those containing a nonshowering particle (produced mainly by {nu}{sub {mu}}). In the momentum range 100{lt}{ital p}{sub {ital e}}{lt}1500 MeV/{ital c} and 300{lt}{ital p}{sub {mu}}{lt}1500 MeV/{ital c}, the fraction of nonshowering events is 0.36{plus minus}0.02(stat){plus minus}0.02(syst). Based on detailed models of neutrino production and interaction, a fraction of 0.51{plus minus}0.01(stat){plus minus}0.05(syst) is expected. This deficit of nonshowering, or excess of showering, events relative to the total is supported by an independent analysis of muon decay signals. In the same sample 33{plus minus}2(stat)% of events are accompanied by one or more muon decays, while 43{plus minus}1(stat)% are expected. Further studies that could reduce systematic errors and discover the cause of these discrepancies are suggested.

• OSTI ID: 7197685
• Journal Information: Physical Review, D (Particles Fields); (United States), Vol. 46:9; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
ELECTRON NEUTRINOS
PARTICLE IDENTIFICATION
MUON NEUTRINOS
NEUTRINO-NUCLEON INTERACTIONS
PARTICLE PRODUCTION
CHERENKOV COUNTERS
COINCIDENCE SPECTROMETRY
COSMIC RADIATION
DECAY
FLAVOR MODEL
MUONS
PHOTOMULTIPLIERS
COINCIDENCE METHODS
COMPOSITE MODELS
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
INTERACTIONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LEPTON-BARYON INTERACTIONS
LEPTON-HADRON INTERACTIONS
LEPTON-NUCLEON INTERACTIONS
LEPTONS
MASSLESS PARTICLES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
NEUTRINOS
PARTICLE INTERACTIONS
PARTICLE MODELS
PHOTOTUBES
QUARK MODEL
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATIONS
662320* - Neutrino Interactions- (1992-)
662350 - Decays of Mesons- (1992-)