Abstract
IN an earlier publication1, it was reported that the intensity of cosmic rays appears to be closely related with the height of the 7·5-cm. mercury pressure-level. It was found that the correlation of cosmic-ray intensity at constant atmospheric pressure with the height of lower pressure-levels is rather low, though gradually increasing with height. When the 7·5-cm. pressure-level is chosen—the highest for which sufficient meteorological data were then available—this correlation reaches the value —0·67. On the basis of the instability of the meson and by assuming that the bulk of the penetrating component originates at this presure-level, the value 18·6 km. was obtained for the mean range of mesons. In support of this hypothesis is the fact that if we take for the mass 180 me and for the average momentum of the mesons along their path down to sea-level the value 2,800 MeV./c. given by Rossi2, then we have for the rest-life the value 2·04 × 10-6 sec., which agrees with the one generally accepted.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Duperier, Proc. Phys. Soc., 57, 464 (1945).
Rossi, Rev. Mod. Phys., 11, 296 (1939).
Nereson and Rossi, Phys. Rev., 64, 199 (1943).
Hess, Phys. Rev., 57, 781 (1940). Hogg, Proc. Roy. Soc., A, 192, 128 (1947).
Forbush, Phys. Rev., 54, 975 (1938).
Jánossy, "Cosmic Rays", 194 (1948).
Schein, Jesse and Wollan, Phys. Rev., 59, 615 (1941).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
DUPERIER, A. Height of Meson Formation. Nature 161, 645 (1948). https://doi.org/10.1038/161645a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/161645a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.