Cosmic-ray neutrinos in the atmosphere

Abstract

In this paper we give a complete account of detailed calculations of the flux of neutrinos of atmospheric origin that we have made for detectors at various locations on the globe. The emphasis here is on neutrinos in the energy range around 1 GeV, and we compare the results with recent measurements made with larger underground detectors. A detailed knowledge of the atmospheric cosmic-ray neutrino flux is a prerequisite for evaluating the background for the search for nucleon decay as well as the background for neutrinos of extraterrestrial origin.