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PhysRevD.81.012001.pdf (1.29 MB)

Observation of muon intensity variations by season with the MINOS far detector

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posted on 2023-06-07, 23:41 authored by P Adamson, C Andreopoulos, K.E Arms, R Armstrong, D J Auty, D.S Ayres, C Backhouse, N E Devenish, Elisabeth FalkElisabeth Falk, Philip Harris, Jeff HartnellJeff Hartnell, C Smith, et el
The temperature of the upper atmosphere affects the height of primary cosmic ray interactions and the production of high-energy cosmic ray muons which can be detected deep underground. The MINOS far detector at Soudan MN, USA, has collected over 67 million cosmic ray induced muons. The underground muon rate measured over a period of five years exhibits a 4% peak-to-peak seasonal variation which is highly correlated with the temperature in the upper atmosphere. The coefficient, $\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\alpha_T$, relating changes in the muon rate to changes in atmospheric temperature was found to be: $\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\alpha_T = 0.874 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\pm 0.009$ (stat.) $\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\pm 0.010$ (syst.). Pions and kaons in the primary hadronic interactions of cosmic rays in the atmosphere contribute differently to $\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\alpha_T$ due to the different masses and lifetimes. This allows the measured value of $\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\alpha_T$ to be interpreted as a measurement of the K/$\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\pi$ ratio for $E_{p}\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\gtrsim$\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\unit[7]{TeV} of $0.13 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\pm 0.08$, consistent with the expectation from collider experiments.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Physical Review D

ISSN

1550-7998

Publisher

American Physical Society

Issue

1

Volume

D81

Page range

012001

Pages

9.0

Department affiliated with

  • Physics and Astronomy Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2012-02-06

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2016-03-22

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2016-11-10

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