Intensity of Cosmic Rays at Low Altitude and the Origin of the Soft Component

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Abstract
Absorption curves have been obtained for cosmic rays at low altitude, with absorbers of carbon, iron, and lead. The separate intensities of fast mesotrons, slow mesotrons, and electrons have been deduced from the differences between the absorption curves. The number of slow mesotrons found is much greater than the number which may have descended from the mesotrons observed at a higher altitude, thus indicating considerable production of low energy mesotrons at low altitudes. The number of electrons is much too small to allow the conclusion that all of the energy of decaying mesotrons goes into shower production. Unless the lifetime-to-mass ratio for mesotrons is larger than presently accepted values, the results favor the conclusion that less than half of the energy of the mesotrons goes to the electron component.

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