High-energy atmospheric muons in the Mont Blanc tunnel (intermediate vector boson)

The intermediate vector boson (IVB) with a rest mass of 37.3 GeV/c/sup 2/ has been postulated recently in theoretical efforts to unify the field of weak interaction, and that of electromagnetic interaction. Since the lifetime of the IVB is very short, by decay into a muon and a neutrino, the existence of this particle can be tested by measuring the deviation of the zenith-angle distribution of muon intensities produced by this particle from that of the well-known atmospheric muons produced by the decay of cosmic-ray mesons (pions and kaons). In order to show these deviations as functions of energy and zenith angle, intensities of muons produced from the decay of cosmic-ray mesons and from that of 37.3 GeV IVB are calculated rigorously for the energy range (1/10) TeV, specifically for the site of the Mont Blanc tunnel where the intensities of atmospheric muons have been measured and will be extended to see these effects. It is shown that the deviations are too small to be observable, if the production cross- section of this particle is of the order of less than 0.1 mb. (28 refs).