RAPID: Rejuvenation of the University of New Hampshire (UNH)'s Neutron Monitor Network

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This one-year RAPID project is aimed at supporting the continued operations and the full rejuvenation of the University of New Hampshire (UNH) network comprised of three neutron monitor (NM) sites: the summit of Mount Washington, Durham, New Hampshire and Leadville, Colorado. The three stations are important because they enable long-term cosmic-ray modulation studies with a data base dating back six Solar Cycles. The NMs are the legacy workhorse instruments for heliospheric physics. Because of their simplicity, ruggedness, and tolerance for mis-adjustment, they have registered numerous transient phenomena, i.e., ground level enhancements (GLE) and Forbush decreases (FD) for more than a half century. They have also been used to monitor the global galactic cosmic-ray intensity that has served as a measure of solar-induced heliospheric activity and has also been used to quantify the dynamics of the transport of cosmic rays within the heliosphere. Conducting these measurements over several Solar Cycles, for example, revealed the 22-year charge-sign dependent heliospheric drift. When treating the global network of NMs as a single magnetic spectrometer, the cosmic-ray spectrum of these phenomena can be measured from the atmospheric cutoff rigidity at high latitudes to almost 20 GV, the geomagnetic cut-off of the most equatorial station. UNH owns and operates three stations in this network. A fourth (Climax) is moribund, and a fifth (Maui), is irreparably decommissioned. The intent of this project is to return the three operating UNH neutron monitors to a complete operational status and support their operation for one year.This one-year RAPID project allows time-critical hardware fixes (controllers and barometers), data processing and recording, overdue maintenance and contractual arrangements with host organizations. Of particular urgency is the full return of the Leadville station to supplant the data stream formerly produced by the Climax monitor. These NM data, along with those of the other instruments in the global network, are critical to interpretation of spacecraft data and the collective measurements of GLEs. Partially filled requests from other investigators for data from one or more of these instruments illustrates their importance to the system. The project provides the means to bring all three stations up to standards by the end of 2018. The three stations are important because they enable long-term cosmic-ray modulation studies with a data base dating back six solar cycles. They are also important for GLE studies, providing "ground truth" for measurements such as PAMELA and AMS. The PAMELA studies by the project team indicate that to fully appreciate and interpret space-based measurements, NM measurements are necessary.This project helps support the non-profit Mount Washington Observatory, which is a meteorological and science resource for the entire New England community. For the international community, it enables the spectrum analysis of GLEs with NMs during impulsive anisotropic phases of an event. This is possible with the South Pole instruments, but the yield function of Polar PolarBARE is very different. A northern hemisphere functionality provided by Mount Washington and Durham complements and augments the South Pole system. It provides an educational experience for an undergraduate student, who is now re-formatting the NM data from all three instruments and exporting those data to the Real-time Neutron Monitor Database (NMDB). The research agenda of this RAPID project supports the Strategic Goals of the AGS Division in discovery, learning, diversity, and interdisciplinary research.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.