Multiplicity spectrum of muon bundles and primary CR composition in the range 1 – 10000 TeV

Abstract

Abstract. Multiplicity spectrum of muon bundles underground, with E µ ≥ f ew × 100 GeV, is an effective tool for study of primary Cosmic Ray spectrum and composition in wide range of the primary energies. In this paper we study integral muon number distribution measured at the Baksan Underground Scintillation Telescope (BUST). The analyzed range of the number of muon tracks crossing BUST (1 -170) approximately corresponds to the primary energy range 1 − 10 4 TeV. The analysis shows that non-power law primary spectra are preferable below the knee. Such a spectrum can be obtained as superposition of the basic power law primary spectrum and an additional component from nearby supernova remnant in the Galaxy.