Measurement of secondary cosmic-ray neutrons near the geomagnetic North Pole
The spectrum of cosmogenic neutrons at Earth's surface covers a wide energy range, from thermal to several GeV. The flux of secondary neutrons varies with latitude, elevation, solar activity, and nearby material, including ground moisture. We report the results from a campaign to measure count...
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ftdatacite:10.48550/arxiv.2004.02725 2023-05-15T17:39:45+02:00 Measurement of secondary cosmic-ray neutrons near the geomagnetic North Pole Woolf, Richard S. Sinclair, Laurel E. Van Brabant, Reid A. Harvey, Bradley J. A. Phlips, Bernard F. Hutcheson, Anthony L. Jackson, Emily G. 2020 https://dx.doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2004.02725 https://arxiv.org/abs/2004.02725 unknown arXiv https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2019.01.001 arXiv.org perpetual, non-exclusive license http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/ Instrumentation and Detectors physics.ins-det FOS Physical sciences article-journal Article ScholarlyArticle Text 2020 ftdatacite https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2004.02725 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2019.01.001 2022-03-10T15:37:24Z The spectrum of cosmogenic neutrons at Earth's surface covers a wide energy range, from thermal to several GeV. The flux of secondary neutrons varies with latitude, elevation, solar activity, and nearby material, including ground moisture. We report the results from a campaign to measure count rates in neutron detectors responding to three different energy ranges conducted near the geomagnetic North Pole at CFS Alert, Nunavut, Canada (82.5 degrees , 62.5 degrees W; vertical geomagnetic cutoff rigidity, RC = 0 GV) in June of 2016. In November 2016, we performed a follow-on measurement campaign in southern Canada at similar RC (1.5 GV) and elevations. We conducted these measurements, at varying elevation and ground moisture content, with unmoderated and moderated 3He detectors for thermal and epithermal-to-MeV sensitivity, and with EJ-299-33 pulse shape discrimination plastic scintillator detectors for fast neutrons. Background gamma rays were monitored with NaI(Tl) detectors. Using these data sets, we compared the measured count rates to a predictive model. This is the first ever data set taken from this location on Earth. We find that for the thermal and epithermal-to-MeV neutron measurements the predictive model and data are in good agreement, except at one location on rock-covered ground near 1 km elevation. The discrepancy at that location may be attributable to ground moisture variability. Other measurements, during this campaign and prior, support the assertion that ground moisture plays a critical role in determining neutron flux. : 28 pages, 9 figures Article in Journal/Newspaper North Pole Nunavut DataCite Metadata Store (German National Library of Science and Technology) Canada North Pole Nunavut |
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Open Polar |
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DataCite Metadata Store (German National Library of Science and Technology) |
op_collection_id |
ftdatacite |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Instrumentation and Detectors physics.ins-det FOS Physical sciences |
spellingShingle |
Instrumentation and Detectors physics.ins-det FOS Physical sciences Woolf, Richard S. Sinclair, Laurel E. Van Brabant, Reid A. Harvey, Bradley J. A. Phlips, Bernard F. Hutcheson, Anthony L. Jackson, Emily G. Measurement of secondary cosmic-ray neutrons near the geomagnetic North Pole |
topic_facet |
Instrumentation and Detectors physics.ins-det FOS Physical sciences |
description |
The spectrum of cosmogenic neutrons at Earth's surface covers a wide energy range, from thermal to several GeV. The flux of secondary neutrons varies with latitude, elevation, solar activity, and nearby material, including ground moisture. We report the results from a campaign to measure count rates in neutron detectors responding to three different energy ranges conducted near the geomagnetic North Pole at CFS Alert, Nunavut, Canada (82.5 degrees , 62.5 degrees W; vertical geomagnetic cutoff rigidity, RC = 0 GV) in June of 2016. In November 2016, we performed a follow-on measurement campaign in southern Canada at similar RC (1.5 GV) and elevations. We conducted these measurements, at varying elevation and ground moisture content, with unmoderated and moderated 3He detectors for thermal and epithermal-to-MeV sensitivity, and with EJ-299-33 pulse shape discrimination plastic scintillator detectors for fast neutrons. Background gamma rays were monitored with NaI(Tl) detectors. Using these data sets, we compared the measured count rates to a predictive model. This is the first ever data set taken from this location on Earth. We find that for the thermal and epithermal-to-MeV neutron measurements the predictive model and data are in good agreement, except at one location on rock-covered ground near 1 km elevation. The discrepancy at that location may be attributable to ground moisture variability. Other measurements, during this campaign and prior, support the assertion that ground moisture plays a critical role in determining neutron flux. : 28 pages, 9 figures |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Woolf, Richard S. Sinclair, Laurel E. Van Brabant, Reid A. Harvey, Bradley J. A. Phlips, Bernard F. Hutcheson, Anthony L. Jackson, Emily G. |
author_facet |
Woolf, Richard S. Sinclair, Laurel E. Van Brabant, Reid A. Harvey, Bradley J. A. Phlips, Bernard F. Hutcheson, Anthony L. Jackson, Emily G. |
author_sort |
Woolf, Richard S. |
title |
Measurement of secondary cosmic-ray neutrons near the geomagnetic North Pole |
title_short |
Measurement of secondary cosmic-ray neutrons near the geomagnetic North Pole |
title_full |
Measurement of secondary cosmic-ray neutrons near the geomagnetic North Pole |
title_fullStr |
Measurement of secondary cosmic-ray neutrons near the geomagnetic North Pole |
title_full_unstemmed |
Measurement of secondary cosmic-ray neutrons near the geomagnetic North Pole |
title_sort |
measurement of secondary cosmic-ray neutrons near the geomagnetic north pole |
publisher |
arXiv |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://dx.doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2004.02725 https://arxiv.org/abs/2004.02725 |
geographic |
Canada North Pole Nunavut |
geographic_facet |
Canada North Pole Nunavut |
genre |
North Pole Nunavut |
genre_facet |
North Pole Nunavut |
op_relation |
https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2019.01.001 |
op_rights |
arXiv.org perpetual, non-exclusive license http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2004.02725 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2019.01.001 |
_version_ |
1766140540307374080 |