The Intensity of Cosmic-Ray Electrons Relative to Mesotrons at Sea Level

Abstract

A cloud-chamber analysis of the electronic component of cosmic rays at sea level has been carried out with no distorting magnetic field. Electrons were identified by their behavior while passing through lead absorbers, and their energies were determined from the ranges, for low energies, and from the shower sizes, for high energies. The processes of mesotron collision and decay in air account for all of the observed electrons. The results are in agreement with the hypothesis that the mesotron decays into one electron and one neutrino.