A Monte Carlo calculation of atmospheric muon and neutrino fluxes

Production of muons and neutrinos in cosmic ray interactions with the atmosphere has been investigated with a cascade simulation program based on Lund Monte Carlo programs. The resulting ‘conventional’ muon and neutrino fluxes (from π, K decays) agree well with earlier calculations, whereas the improved charm particle treatment used in this study gives significantly lower ‘prompt’ fluxes compared to earlier estimates. This implies better prospects for detecting very high energy neutrinos from cosmic sources.