Test of hadron interaction models in the most important energy range of secondary particles in spectra of atmospheric muons

A simple method has been proposed for testing hadron interaction models, which are used to simulate extensive air showers, in observed spectra of atmospheric muons. It has been shown that muon flux intensities in the energy range of ${10}^2{-}{10}^4$ GeV that are calculated within the SIBYLL 2.1, QGSJETII-04, and QGSJET01 models exceed the data of the classical experiments L3 + Cosmic, MACRO, and LVD on the spectra of atmospheric muons by a factor of $1.5$–$2$. It has been concluded that these tested models overestimate the generation of secondary particles with the highest energies in elementary events of interaction between hadrons in agreement with the LHCf and TOTEM accelerator experiments.