press release #46
Launching of the detector in Yerevan
The research of the solar terrestrial connections were started by Cosmic ray division (CRD) of A. Alikhanyan national lab (AANL) more than 10 years ago with the establishment of Aragats Space Environmental Center (ASEC, Chilingarian et al., 2003, 2005). In 2011 ASEC got new extension by installing modern particle detector on 800 m altitude at CRD headquarters in Yerevan. Registration of the solar modulation effects (changing fluxes of the secondary cosmic rays) on 3 altitudes (Yerevan - 800 m; Nor Amberd - 2000 m; and Aragats - 3200 m, planned also in the AANL underground laboratory) allows recovery of the energy spectra of solar protons, distinguishing proton and neutron solar events and solve many other interesting fundamental problems of the solar, magnetospheric and atmospheric physics. The Cube type detectors, see Figure 1, designed and fabricated by CRD experts and first installed at Aragats in 2010, simultaneously measure charged and neutral fluxes of secondary cosmic rays. The Yerevan Cube setup in addition is capable to measure energy deposit spectra in 3 cm scintillators, NaI crystal of 30cm x 12.5cm x 12.5cm size and same size plastic scintillator. High level of suppression of the charged flux by veto provided by surrounding 3 cm thick scintillators allows perfect purification of the detected neutron and gamma ray fluxes, not achievable by the most popular and broad spread detectors - neutron monitors. This very important option of the new detector makes it the best device also for measuring particle fluxes from the thunderclouds - new phenomena investigated by CRD in last 3 years (Chilingarian et al., 2010, 2011). NaI crystal and thick scintillator will be used for the recovery of bremsstrahlung gamma ray spectra originated from electrons accelerated in thunderstorm atmospheres. The shift of the energy spectra of charged cosmic rays in the strong electrical fields in thunderclouds and electron-gamma ray avalanches, unleashed in the extreme fields, give rise to the so called Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements (TGEs), peaks in time series detected by particle detectors located on mountainous altitudes in the regions with enhanced thunderstorm activity. Surprisingly, recently the SEVAN (Chilingarian and Reymers, 2008) detector, located on the roof of CRD headquarters, also detected a peak during strong thunderstorm in spring 2011, and the new Cube detector will prove or reject this finding by monitoring expected autumn thunderstorms.
last 10 press releases:
- Armenia become member of SCOSTEP!
- A.Alikhanyan national lab purchase high purity germanium gamma-detector for nuclear physics research and isotope production
- KHEBR laser technological complex, which is unique with its power is launched in AANL
- Ground Breaking ceremony of Nuclear Medecine Center, October 30, 2012
- Visit in Dubna, 3-4 May 2012
- National Scientific laboratory after A. I.Alikhanyan young scientist Artyom Hovhanisyan “Haykyan” award-winner.
- The prime minister visited the National Scientific laboratory after A. I.Alikhanyan
- Center for Cosmology and Astrophysics is established in A.Alikhanyan National Laboratory (AANL)
- The workshop “Low dimensional physics and gauge principles”
- Launching of the detector in Yerevan
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