SH41A-1073 0800h
Upgrading the Kiel Neutron Monitor
The Neutron Monitor in Kiel is one of the longest operating Neutron Monitors in the world, it has been operating continuously since the IGY 1957. The original counting electronics was upgraded in the mid-90's in collaboration with the IZMIRAN group, using a redundant arrangement of standard PCs. Since this upgrade, one-minute measurements of Cosmic Rays have been available in near real-time. Even though this setup has been operating without any problems for the last ten years, the hardware needs replacement to prevent data loss in case of failure of the aging hardware. For this we are preparing a new set of data acquisition electronics that will be set up in parallel to the existing electronics. A programmable automation controller (PAC) is the centrepiece of the upgraded electronics. A PAC combines the advantages of programmable logic controllers (PLC), the packaging, the industrial specifications, and the reliability, with the functionality and flexibility of a PC. The PAC runs a real-time OS and can be programmed with LabVIEW. The recorded data are transfered in real-time to a web server via ethernet, and, for redundancy, stored in the device on CompactFlash media. We present data from the Kiel Neutron Monitor for the October/November 2003 events, as well as others, which demonstrate the high resolution and sensitivity of the currently existing system. By using optimal-filtering techniques (Kalman filter), we determine onset and decay times of these ground level events (GLE), and compare them with data from other neutron monitors. We investigate the desirability of higher time resolution and its impact on the reliability of the determination of onset times.
SH41A-1074 0800h
Spaceship Earth Data as Part of a Real-Time Space Weather Website
Spaceship Earth is a network of neutron monitors strategically located to provide precise, real-time, 3-dimensional measurements of the cosmic ray angular distribution. This network consists of 9 polar stations viewing narrow regions in the equatorial plane at 40-degree intervals, with 2 additional stations viewing well above and below the plane. These measurements, together with knowledge of the interplanetary magnetic field, allow us to perform real-time calculations of the three-dimensional pitch-angle distributions of the cosmic rays. In this paper we will describe the real time data collection, normalization and fitting procedures that allow the generation of the displays found at our space weather website at $<$http://www.bartol.udel.edu/~NeutronM/SpaceWeather$>$. Supported by NSF grants ATM-0207196 and ATM-0000315.
SH41A-1075 0800h
A Calibrated Neutron Monitor Network
There are 40-odd neutron monitors around the world that record the cosmic ray intensity with rigidity > 1 GV. The cutoff rigidity for a specific station is determined by its geomagnetic coordinates and atmospheric thickness, and lies in the range 1 to 16 GV. Rigidity or energy spectra can be calculated in principle from the integral counting rates of these neutron monitors, by taking their difference in counting rate with respect to difference in cutoff rigidity, but in practice this can not be done at present because the efficiency of each monitor is different. Such rigidity/energy spectra will, however, make neutron monitors much more useful to study the rigidity dependence of cosmic ray modulation effects. This paper discusses a lightweight, mobile, neutron monitor, constructed in 2002, that can be used to calibrate the counting rates of neutron monitors to an accuracy of 0.1%. This will make spectral calculations possible. Its design criteria, construction, initial tests for energy and temperature sensitivity, and proposed calibration protocols are presented.
SH41A-1076 0800h
Heliospheric Experiments Planned with the Mileura Widefield Array Demonstrator
Low frequency radio telescopes, like the Mileura Widefield Array (MWA), are expected to grow into important tools for space weather and heliospheric studies because of their ability to conduct observations in the vast inner heliosphere and their potentially unique ability to constrain the heliospheric magnetic field. As a first step towards MWA a demonstrator array is being constructed at an exquisitely radio quiet site in Mileura, Western Australia. The demonstrator for the MWA will cover the frequency range from 80 to 300 MHz with 32 MHz bandwidth and will consist of ~500 stations, each comprising 16 dual polarization dipoles. The demonstrator will be 1.5 km in diameter, have a field of view of ~20 and 60 deg, and provide a resolution of 2.3 and 6.9 arcmin at 300 and 100 MHz respectively. It will have a collecting area of 8600 m$^2$ and a point source sensitivity of 0.03 Jy at 200 MHz (32 MHz bandwidth and 1 sec time integration). The primary backends of the demonstrator will be a Full Field of view Imager, which will provide a full polarization image of the entire field of view every second, and a beamformer capable of providing 8-16 independent beams per polarization which can be placed anywhere within the large field of view. The MWA demonstrator will have enough collecting area and sufficiently sophisticated backends to conduct significant scientific investigations. This paper will present the plans for heliospheric science applications planned for the demonstrator. These comprise Interplanetary Scintillations (IPS) and Faraday Rotation (FR) observations. IPS measurements yield information about the solar wind velocity, density and turbulence, and FR observations constrain the magnetic field strength and orientation in both the quiescent heliosphere and transients like Coronal Mass Ejections. The first scientific observations will be a survey of the southern skies to identify sources suitable for IPS and FR observations. IPS and FR observations of Coronal Mass Ejections and the quiescent heliosphere, and the subsequent analysis to estimate their plasma properties and magnetic field orientation will be conducted on a campaign basis.
SH41A-1077 0800h
A New Magnetoseismic Chain in East Asia
A surge of using ground magnetometer data to estimate the plasma density in the magnetosphere took place in the last decade as a result of the advancements in field line resonance (FLR) observations as well as in ground magnetometry. This application of FLR observations requires pairs of magnetometers closely separated in the north-south direction. Measuring FLR-inferred density has been an important objective of several magnetometer projects in North America and Europe. Many magnetometers also exist in Australia and Asia, but the stations available there for magnetoseismic studies are limited in magnetic latitude. Because ground FLR signatures are often observed in the daytime, the reliance of the North American and European networks implies that there are roughly 4 hours per day when no FLR-inferred density can be estimated because neither network is located in the daytime. In addition, plasma density can have a strong dependence on local time, and the spatiotemporal distribution of the density cannot possibly be resolved by one or two meridian chains. Here we present a proposal of a new magnetometer chain that can provide the magnetoseismic data in the East Asia region. The project is an extension of the Sino-Magnetic Array at Low Latitudes (SMALL) magnetometer network that consists of 12 high-resolution UCLA fluxgate magnetometers. The existing SMALL stations are supplemented by new stations along the $190^\circ$ magnetic meridian to make possible the gradient analysis for identifying FLR frequencies. Both existing and new systems are equipped with GPS to ensure proper synchronization across the stations. The new magnetoseismic chain in East Asia will nicely complement the North American and European magnetoseismic chains as the difference in local time from either chain would be roughly 8 hours. The data provided by new magnetometers would also be valuable resources for a variety of research subjects of magnetospheric physics.
SH41A-1078 0800h
Infrastructure and autonomy: a comparison of the new CGSM and THEMIS-GBO instrument arrays
Two significant enhancements to ground based space science in Canada have recently begun. First, the Canadian Geospace Monitoring (CGSM) program is in the midst of a major upgrade to infrastructure and communications at 13 remote field sites. Secondly, the THEMIS project has commenced installation of 20 ground-based observatories (GBOs) in northern Canada and Alaska. These two projects share certain scientific goals and will both be operating sites in harsh arctic environments. However, differences in specific objectives and requirements have resulted in noticeably divergent designs and implementations. I will compare and contrast elements of both projects, including issues such as telemetry, monitoring, and data management.
SH41A-1079 0800h
The global magnetometer network initiative: SuperMAG
We present the SuperMAG initiative which will use data from all available ground magnetometer stations. Performing global studies utilizing ground magnetometer data from many different institutions is currently complicated by the use of different coordinate systems and baseline determination techniques. While the former causes an impediment for the user the latter can prevent studies from being performed. There is currently a need for a community data-service in which these obstacles are removed thereby enabling the investigator to focus his/her time on the research rather than the data processing. In the SuperMAG initiative these issues are taken care of and the user can take full advantage of the unique temporal and spatial coverage provided by the ground based magnetometers. We present the coordinate system of choice, the objective automated baseline technique, and an overview of the data-products that SuperMAG will provide.