Spaceship Earth: A Polar Network of Neutron Monitors

OPP 98-05780宇宙飞船地球：一个极地网络的中子监视器PI：John Bieber CO-PI：Paul Evenson Ellen Patterson这项提议是为了研究太阳高能粒子的加速和传输，太阳风中的磁湍流，以及瞬时宇宙线变化的机制。这些数据来自战略上位于两极周围的宇宙线探测器(中子监测器)网络，以收集有关宇宙线到达角的信息。有了这样的阵列，整个地球就像一个定向宇宙线探测器。地球磁场使粒子偏转的事实被用来确定高能宇宙射线到达的方向。与太空中飞行的宇宙射线探测器相比，这个新的“宇宙飞船地球”拥有远远超过当前航天器能力的计数统计数据。宇宙飞船地球网络是一个国际项目，有美国、加拿大、俄罗斯和澳大利亚参与。它由10个高纬度站组成，在经度上大致相等(在南极洲，在俄罗斯，在加拿大北部)。研究人员还将研究宇宙射线在空间天气中的作用。可能会提前发出长达10小时的潜在破坏性磁暴预警。还计划在空间科学、中子探测器和空间气象方面开展本科教育和公众宣传的创新计划。本提案要求提供资金，以实时合并来自广泛分布的探测器的数据，按照上述空间物理和天体物理应用对数据进行分析，以其他研究人员可以使用的形式分发数据，并与俄罗斯科学家合作，重新启动西伯利亚的两个未运行的空间站。

OPP 98-05780Spaceship Earth: A Polar Network of Neutron MonitorsPI: John Bieber CO-PIs: Paul EvensonEllen PattersonABSTRACTThis proposal is to study the acceleration and transport of solar energetic particles, the magnetic turbulence in the solar wind, and the mechanisms of transient cosmic ray variations. The data are from a network of cosmic ray detectors (neutron monitors) strategically located around the poles in order to gather information about the cosmic rays' angle of arrival. With such an array, the entire Earth acts as a directional cosmic ray detector. The fact that the Earth's magnetic field deflects the particles is used to determine the direction of arrival of energetic cosmic rays. Compared with cosmic ray detectors flown in space, this new "Spaceship Earth" enjoys counting statistics far exceeding current spacecraft capabilities. The Spaceship Earth network is an international project, with participation from US, Canada, Russia and Australia. It consists of 10 high-latitude stations, roughly equidistant in longitude (in Antarctica, in Russia, in Northern Canada).The investigators will also examine the role of cosmic rays in the context of space weather. An advance warning of as much as 10 hours of potentially damaging magnetic storms might be possible. An innovative program of undergraduate education and public outreach in Space sciences, neutron detectors, and Space Weather is also planned. The present proposal requests funds to combine in real time the data from the widely spaced detectors, analyze the data in terms of the space physics and astrophysics applications mentioned above, distribute the data in a form that can be used by other researchers, and collaborate with Russian scientists to reactivate 2 inoperative stations in Siberia.