Leading nucleon and the hadronic flux in the atmosphere

We present in this paper a calculation of the hadronic flux in the atmosphere. Using an iterative leading particle model and the Glauber model, we relate the moment of the leading particle distribution in nucleon-air collisions with the respective one in nucleon-proton collisions. In this way, we obtain a description of the nucleonic and hadronic fluxes in the atmosphere. Contribution to the 26th International Cosmic Ray Conference, Salt Lake City - Utah, August 1999 (HE 1.2.20).