Collaborative Research: Element Composition of High Energy Solar Particles

合作研究：高能太阳能粒子的元素组成

• 批准号: 1341312
• 负责人: Surujhdeo Seunarine
• 金额: $ 34.02万
• 依托单位: University of Wisconsin-River Falls
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-07-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1341312&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Element; Composition; Energy

The neutron monitor at the U.S. Amundsen-Scott Station, located at the geographic South Pole, has operated since 1964. Neutrons detected by such monitors are byproducts of nuclear interactions of cosmic rays (predominantly protons and helium nuclei) with Earth's atmosphere. South Pole is a unique location at high altitude and low geomagnetic cutoff rigidity. This installation is the lynchpin of the worldwide neutron monitor network at low energies and the primary link to spacecraft measurements at much lower energies. Central to the research is the need to understand the detector response to the radiation environment of the South Pole, particularly to determine the cause of a peculiar secular decline in cosmic rays intensity at South Pole throughout the ~50-year operating period of the neutron monitor. Understanding this decline is important because cosmic rays produce radionuclides such as Beryllium-10 that become trapped in the ice and are used to determine ice-core sample ages and precipitation levels over the Earth's Polar Regions. A full understanding of the production rate is vital to interpreting these data.Recent opening of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at South Pole, specifically the IceTop air shower array, has increased the value of neutron observation. In addition to its primary function as an extensive air shower detector, IceTop is highly sensitive to the intensity and spectrum of cosmic rays of energy formerly accessible only to the neutron monitors. IceTop and the neutron monitor are highly complementary to each other as the former is more sensitive in an absolute sense but responds to somewhat higher energy particles than does the monitor. IceTop responds primarily to the electronic component of the secondary particles whereas the neutron monitor responds primarily to the hadronic component. Together the detectors can determine not only the spectra but also the element composition of the primary particles.Solid science, collaborative effort, international partners, and travel to Antarctica provide an ideal opportunity to achieve education and outreach goals. Operation of the neutron monitor at South Pole will become an undergraduate activity at University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Providing undergraduate and two-year college students with research experiences will allow students to make meaningful contributions to cutting-edge science.Neutron monitor data are broadly employed by other research groups, with applications in cosmic ray research, solar-terrestrial relations, space weather, climatology, atmospheric physics, geophysics, and magnetospheric physics. Neutron monitors play a direct role in forecasting and specifying solar wind disturbances and in providing Ground Level Enhancement alerts relevant to the transpolar aviation. Improving the capability to forecast and characterize major space weather events has direct societal benefit.

自1964年以来，位于地理南极的美国Amundsen-Scott站的中子监测器已运行。这种监测器检测到的中子是宇宙射线（主要是质子和氦核）与地球大气层的核相互作用的副产品。南极是高海拔地区的独特位置，低地磁截止刚度。该装置是低能能下全球中子监视器网络的Lynchpin，也是较低能量下航天器测量的主要链接。这项研究的核心是需要了解探测器对南极辐射环境的反应，尤其是确定在中子监测仪的大约50年的工作期间，南极宇宙射线强度的世俗降低的原因。了解这种下降很重要，因为宇宙射线会产生放射性核素，例如铍-10，它们被困在冰中，并用于确定地球极性区域上的冰核样品年龄和降水水平。对生产率的全面了解对于解释这些数据至关重要。在南极的Icecube Neutminino天文台（特别是Icetop空气淋浴阵列）的开放量增加了中子观察的价值。除了其作为广泛的空气淋浴检测器的主要功能外，ICETOP还对以前仅适用于中子监测器可访问的宇宙能量射线的强度和频谱高度敏感。 ICETOP和中子监测器相互互补，因为前者在绝对意义上更敏感，但对能量颗粒的反应比监视器更高。 ICETOP主要响应次级颗粒的电子成分，而中子监测器主要响应辐射分量。探测器不仅可以确定光谱，还可以确定主要粒子的要素组成。固有的科学，协作努力，国际合作伙伴和前往南极的旅行提供了实现教育和外展目标的理想机会。中子监测仪在南极的运营将成为威斯康星大学河河大学的一项本科活动。为本科生和两年的大学生提供研究经验，将使学生能够为尖端科学做出有意义的贡献。中子监测数据由其他研究小组广泛使用，在宇宙射线研究，太阳能关系，太空天气，气候，气候，大气物理学，地球物理学和磁层物理学中的应用。中子监测器在预测和指定太阳风干扰方面发挥了直接作用，并在提供与透明极航空相关的地面增强警报方面发挥了作用。提高预测和表征主要太空天气事件的能力具有直接的社会利益。