Event Details

Seminar: Speaker: Dr. Michael Aspinall, Lancaster University

Abstract

The Ground-Level Enhancement Event Monitor (GLEEM) project aims to redesign and deploy networkable instruments for ground-level neutron monitoring. Such monitors operate in a global network to deduce the primary cosmic ray flux in the upper atmosphere from measurements of cosmic-ray variations and fluxes of solar energetic particles at the Earth’s surface. The current global network has been operational since the 1960’s and consists of about fifty neutron monitors, most implemented to the 1964 standard devised by Carmichael – the NM-64. These monitors are massive and expensive, rely on highly toxic gas and can be temperamental due to the age of their counting electronics. After evaluating various detector options, and based on operational experience, experiments and simulations, a new design has been conceived which exploits the established supply chain serving nuclear safeguards and security. The new design is smaller, cheaper and uses non-toxic gas-filled proportional counters. This presentation will provide an overview of this project as we near site deployment of the new instrument design.