Atmospheric pion, kaon, and muon fluxes for sub-orbital experiments

Diksha Garg; Laksha Pradip Das; Mary Hall Reno

doi:10.48550/arxiv.2510.03428

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Atmospheric pion, kaon, and muon fluxes for sub-orbital experiments

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Atmospheric pion, kaon, and muon fluxes for sub-orbital experiments

Diksha Garg, Laksha Pradip Das and Mary Hall Reno

ArXiv.org

Cornell University

10/03/2025

DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2510.03428

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Preprint (Author's original)This preprint has not been evaluated by subject experts through peer review. Preprints may undergo extensive changes and/or become peer-reviewed journal articles. Open Access

Abstract

Cosmic rays interacting with the Earth's atmosphere generate extensive air showers, which produce Cherenkov, fluorescence and radio emissions. These emissions are key signatures for detection by ground-based, sub-orbital, and satellite-based telescopes aiming to study high energy cosmic ray and neutrino events. However, detectors operating at ground and balloon altitudes are also exposed to a background of atmospheric charged particles, primarily pions, kaons, and muons, that can mimic or obscure the signals from astrophysical sources. In this work, we use coupled cascade equations to calculate the atmospheric pion, kaon and muon fluxes reaching detectors at various altitudes. Our analysis focuses on energies above 10 GeV, where the influence of the Earth's magnetic field on particle trajectories is minimal. We provide angular and energy-resolved flux estimates and discuss their relevance as background for extensive air shower detection. Our results are potentially relevant for interpreting data from current and future balloon-borne experiments such as EUSO-SPB2 and for refining trigger and veto strategies in Cherenkov and fluorescence telescopes.

Physics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Physics - High Energy Physics - Phenomenology

Details

Title: Subtitle: Atmospheric pion, kaon, and muon fluxes for sub-orbital experiments
Creators: Diksha Garg - University of Iowa
Laksha Pradip Das - University of Iowa
Mary Hall Reno - University of Iowa
Resource Type: Preprint
Publication Details: ArXiv.org
DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2510.03428
ISSN: 2331-8422
Publisher: Cornell University; Ithaca, New York
Language: English
Date posted: 10/03/2025
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9984969236202771

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