The mini-neutron monitor:a new approach in neutron monitor design
Du Toit Strauss, Stepan Poluianov, Cobus van der Merwe, Hendrik G. Kruger, Corrie Diedericks, Helena Krüger, Ilya Usoskin, B. Heber, Rendani Nndanganeni, J. J. Blanco, Ignacio García-Tejedor, Konstantin Herbst, R. A. Caballero─López, Katlego Moloto, A. Lara, Michael Walter, Nigussie Mezgebe Giday, Rita Traversi
Abstract
The near-Earth cosmic ray flux has been monitored for more than 70 years by a network of ground-based neutron monitors (NMs). With the ever-increasing importance of quantifying the radiation risk and effects of cosmic rays for, e.g., air and space-travel, it is essential to continue operating the existing NM stations, while expanding this crucial network. In this paper, we discuss a smaller and cost-effective version of the traditional NM, the mini-NM. These monitors can be deployed with ease, even to extremely remote locations, where they operate in a semi-autonomous fashion. We believe that the mini-NM, therefore, offers the opportunity to increase the sensitivity and expand the coverage of the existing NM network, making this network more suitable to near-real-time monitoring for space weather applications. In this paper, we present the technical details of the mini-NM’s design and operation, and present a summary of the initial tests and science results.