Solar and Heliospheric Studies with Antarctic Cosmic Ray Observations

这笔拨款支持继续运行和分析来自南极和南极洲麦克默多的宇宙射线中子探测器的数据。到达地球表面的中子是由地球大气层上层的宇宙射线产生的。中子通量随时间的变化是由行星际介质中的湍流和激波引起的，而后者又受太阳活动的影响。偶尔，太阳耀斑产生的质子有足够的能量到达地球表面，南极的探测器对这些所谓的地面增强（GLE）是地球上最敏感的。对GLE的研究可以揭示太阳耀斑及其对地球环境影响的细节。

This grant supports the continued operation and analysis of data from cosmic ray neutron detectors at South Pole and McMurdo, Antarctica. The neutrons which reach the surface are produced by cosmic rays in the upper reaches of the Earth's atmosphere. The variation of the neutron flux in time is caused by turbulence and shock waves in the interplanetary medium, which in turn, is effected by solar activity. Occasionally solar flares produce protons with sufficient energy to reach the Earth's surface and the detector at South Pole is the most sensitive on Earth to these so- called ground level enhancements (GLE's). The study of GLE's can reveal details about solar flares and their impact on the Earth's environment.