Measuring the effects of Space Weather in the UK using a network of school magnetometers

我们的目标是(1)建立一个磁场传感器网络，部署在英国各地的学校中，以增加兰开斯特大学AuroraWatch现有的小型网络；(2)帮助扩大空间天气研究人员的公民科学能力。该项目涉及科学和技术领域的若干科学和技术领域：空间科学；仪器仪表;行星和磁层的物理学。它旨在鼓励14至18岁的学生了解如何使用仪器收集数据并将其整合在一起，从而更广泛地了解物理现象。拟议中的仪器涉及跨越几个主题领域的学习，如电子学、计算机和电磁学，并与地球表面的太空研究联系起来。它还将强调太阳上的遥远过程如何影响地球的磁场。该仪器不分性别，因此适合所有年轻人和任何能够使用计算机运行传感器和可视化数据的人。这将是一项试点研究，招募英国各地的学校和教师试用定制的三轴磁力计和树莓派电脑。这些学校将得到兰开斯特大学和英国地质调查局的支持，我们也将开始制作定制的教育材料。学校将反馈他们使用仪器的经验，以及他们如何在课程教学中使用仪器，使我们能够改进材料。所有测量的数据将通过一个集中的网站提供，允许学校与全国其他学校进行数据比较。通过建立一个对学校和公民科学家开放的网络，我们希望鼓励学生和教师思考磁场及其所涉及的物理过程。现在这样做的原因之一是，作为一个社会，我们越来越依赖于基于空间的技术，如GPS和卫星通信。我们越来越多地暴露在太空天气的风险之下——主要是地球和太阳磁场之间的相互作用。虽然太阳的日冕物质抛射造成的可见影响是在大型地磁风暴期间观察到的极光，但也有对磁场的不可见影响可以在地面上记录下来。该项目的第二个目标是让学校和其他感兴趣的团体参与到对整个英国磁场的精确测量中来，这样研究人员就可以更详细地了解这些影响。直到最近，探测由于空间天气引起的磁场变化所需的灵敏度水平（大约百万分之十）的设备只提供给科学界。一套专用仪器的成本通常在几千英镑左右。然而，随着技术的进步，现在只需200英镑就能制造出几乎具有科学质量的仪器。在过去的一年里，我们测试了许多不同的磁传感器，并开发了新的原型。就其本身而言，单个磁传感器（磁力计）并不是特别有用，但与英国范围内的传感器网络相连，这样的系统既可以为物理、天文学、地质学和地理学学生提供教育工具，也可以参与科学实验，研究英国上空磁场的详细变化，特别是在地磁风暴期间。英国地质调查局在英国有三个观测站，但它们位于从设得兰到德文郡的一条近似直线上。英国各地的其他仪器将有助于“填补空白”，并在英国提供纵向覆盖，从而可以制作更详细的磁场变化图。

We aim to (1) build a network of magnetic field sensors to be deployed in schools across the UK, to add to the small existing network from AuroraWatch at the University of Lancaster and (2) help expand citizen science capability for space weather researchers. This project relates to a number of STFC areas of science and technology: space science; instrumentation; physics of the planets and magnetosphere. It is intended to encourage students from 14 to 18 years old to look at how instruments can be used to collect data and integrate it together to give a wider understanding of physical phenomena. The proposed instrument involves learning that crosses several topical areas, such as electronics, computing and electromagnetism and links into the study of space from the planet's surface. It will also highlight the how remote processes on the Sun can affect the magnetic field of the Earth. The instrument is non-gender-specific so is suitable for all young people and anyone able to use a computer to run the sensor and visualise the data.This will be a pilot study to recruit schools and teachers around the UK to trial the use of a custom-built three-axis magnetometer with a Raspberry Pi computer. The schools will receive support from Lancaster University and BGS and we will also produce bespoke educational materials to begin with. The schools will feedback about their experiences running the instrument and how they use it in the teaching of curriculum, allowing us to improve the materials. All data measured will be available via a centralised website, allowing the schools to compare their data with others across the country. With the building of a network, open to both schools and citizen scientists, we hope to encourage students and teachers to think about the magnetic field and the physical processes involved.One of the reasons for doing this now is because, as a society, we are increasingly reliant on space-based technologies such as GPS and satellite communications. We have become more exposed to risks from Space Weather - primarily, the interaction between the Earth and the Sun's magnetic fields. Although the visible effects caused by Coronal Mass Ejections from the Sun are the aurorae observed during large geomagnetic storms, there are also invisible effects on the magnetic field that can recorded on the ground. The second aim of this project is to involve schools and other interested parties in making precise measurements of the magnetic field across the UK so researchers can understand these effects in more detail.Until recently, equipment with the required level of sensitivity needed to detect the variations of the magnetic field due to space weather (around ten parts in a million) has only been available to the scientific community. The costs have typically been on the order of several thousands of pounds for a set of dedicated instrumentation. However, with advances in technology, instruments of almost-scientific quality can now be built for around two hundred pounds. We have spent the past year testing a number of different magnetic sensors and developing new prototypes. On its own a single magnetic sensor (magnetometer) is not particularly useful, but tied into a UK-wide network of sensors, such a system can provide both an educational tool for physics, astronomy, geology and geography students and a means to participate in a scientific experiment to study the detailed variation of the magnetic field over the UK, particularly during a geomagnetic storm. The BGS runs three observatories in the UK, but these are located in an approximately straight line from Shetland to Devon. Additional instruments across the UK will help 'fill in the gaps' and provide longitudinal coverage in the UK, allowing more detailed maps of the magnetic field variation to be made.