Technical Article

The mini-neutron monitor: a new approach in neutron monitor design

¹ Center for Space Research, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, Private Bag X6001, 2520 Potchefstroom, South Africa
² Space Physics and Astronomy Research Unit, University of Oulu, Linnanmaa, 90014 Oulu, Finland
³ Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory, University of Oulu, Tähtelantie 62, 99600 Sodankylä, Finland
⁴ Institut für Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Universität Kiel, 24118 Kiel, Germany
⁵ South African National Space Agency, PO BOX 32, 7200 Hermanus, South Africa
⁶ Departamento de Física y Matemáticas and Departamento de Automática, Universidad de Alcalá (UAH), Campus Científico-Tecnológico (Externo), Pza. San Diego, s/n, Alcalá de Henares, 28801 Madrid, Spain
⁷ Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 CDMX, México
⁸ Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Platanenallee 6, 15738 Zeuthen, Germany
⁹ Department of Space Science and Applications Research, Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute, Algeria Street, 33679 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
¹⁰ Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, 50019 Sesto F.no (Florence), Italy

^* Corresponding author: dutoit.strauss@nwu.ac.za

Received: 1 May 2020
Accepted: 27 July 2020

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.