Title
Verso l’Alto Atmospheric Observations of Cosmic Ray Shower Primaries and the Pfotzer Maximum in the Declining Phase of Sunspot Cycle 24
Start Date
30-6-2016 11:15 AM
End Date
30-6-2016 11:40 AM
Abstract
Verso l’Alto (Italian for “toward the high”) is a student-led, multi-disciplinary research project to study cosmic-ray radiation above the Southern Appalachian Mountains using high altitude weather balloons equipped with Arduino microcontrollers mounted with geiger-counter shields and data loggers. Eight successful launches have been completed from October 2012 to June 2014. Data from four flights identify the location of the Pfotzer Maximum for this particular geomagnetic latitude and epoch ranging from altitudes 13.4-22 km. We compared our result with simulations of cosmic ray, proton-primary showers. These simulations were performed using CORSIKA (COsmic Ray SImulations for Kascade) for the appropriate, low-energy, hadronic interaction models. We also have baseline data to compare radiation levels with other research teams that are observing a modulation of cosmic ray intensity as a consequence or reduced solar activity as we approach the minimum of Sunspot Cycle 24.
Verso l’Alto Atmospheric Observations of Cosmic Ray Shower Primaries and the Pfotzer Maximum in the Declining Phase of Sunspot Cycle 24
Verso l’Alto (Italian for “toward the high”) is a student-led, multi-disciplinary research project to study cosmic-ray radiation above the Southern Appalachian Mountains using high altitude weather balloons equipped with Arduino microcontrollers mounted with geiger-counter shields and data loggers. Eight successful launches have been completed from October 2012 to June 2014. Data from four flights identify the location of the Pfotzer Maximum for this particular geomagnetic latitude and epoch ranging from altitudes 13.4-22 km. We compared our result with simulations of cosmic ray, proton-primary showers. These simulations were performed using CORSIKA (COsmic Ray SImulations for Kascade) for the appropriate, low-energy, hadronic interaction models. We also have baseline data to compare radiation levels with other research teams that are observing a modulation of cosmic ray intensity as a consequence or reduced solar activity as we approach the minimum of Sunspot Cycle 24.