Charge ratio of cosmic pions in the atmosphere

The CERN intersecting storage ring data on pp to pi /sup +or-/+X inclusive reactions can be represented by a single scaling variable eta =2p/sub T//sup 2/x/(c ln(s/s/sub 0/)), for 0.075<or=x<or=0.3 and 0.2<or=p/sub T/<or=1.5 GeV/c. The charge ratio of the cosmic pion spectrum at the top of the atmosphere has been estimated using this new type of scaling variable and the primary nucleon spectrum of Grigorov et al. (1971) has been used as a hadron source at the top of the atmosphere. (11 refs).