Neutron and gamma-ray fluxes measured by SciCRT prototype at the top of Sierra Negra volcano, Mexico

Authors

  • E. Ortiz Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1994-7459
  • J. F. Valdés-Galicia Instituto de Geofisica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Coyoacan, Ciudad de Mexico, 04510, Mexico.
  • A. Hurtado Instituto de Geofisica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Coyoacan, Ciudad de Mexico, 04510, Mexico.
  • R. García Instituto de Geofisica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Coyoacan, Ciudad de Mexico, 04510, Mexico.
  • M. Anzorena Instituto de Geofisica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Coyoacan, Ciudad de Mexico, 04510, Mexico.
  • O. Musalem Instituto de Geofisica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Coyoacan, Ciudad de Mexico, 04510, Mexico.
  • L.X. González SCiESMEX, Instituto de Geofısica, Unidad Michoacan, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Morelia, Michoacan, 58089, Mexico.
  • Y. Matsubara Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan.
  • Y Muraki Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan.
  • Y. Itow Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan.
  • T. Sako Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan.
  • Y. Sasai Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan.
  • K. Munakata Department of Physics, Shinshu University, Asahi, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan.
  • C. Kato Department of Physics, Shinshu University, Asahi, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan.
  • S. Shibata College of Engineering, Chubu University, Kasugai 487-8501, Japan.
  • H. Kojima Faculty of Engineering, Aichi Institute of Technology, Toyota 470-0392, Japan.
  • K. Watanabe Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, School of Applied Sciences, National Defense Academy, Hashirimizu 1-10-20 Yokosuka-shi, Kanagawa-Pref, Japan.
  • H. Tsuchiya Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 2-4 Shirakata Shirane, Tokai-mura, Naka-gun, Ibaraki 319-1195, Japan.
  • T. Koi SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025-7015, USA.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31349/RevMexFis.65.545

Keywords:

Secondary cosmic rays, neutrons, gamma rays.

Abstract

The mini-SciCR is a cosmic ray detector, it is made of scintillator bars with a total volume of 20 x 20 x 20.8 $cm^{3}$. The array of scintillator bars act both as a target and as a tracker of the incident radiation. In this paper we describe the method developed with the help of a Monte Carlo simulation to distiguish the neutron signals from gamma ray signals, it is based on the different maximum energy deposited at a scintillator bar by neutrons and gamma rays. To distiguish the neutral emission signals (neutrons and gamma rays) from charged particles signals, we implemented via software a system of anti-coincidence between edge bars and internal bars of the detector. We also report the flux of neutrons and gamma rays measured by the mini-SciCR at the top of the Sierra Negra volcano at 4,600 m.a.s.l., in Eastern Mexico. The mini-SciCR was operating from October 2010 to July 2012. We also present the Forbush decrease registered by the mini-SciCR on march, 2012. The mini-SciCR is a prototype of a new cosmic ray detector called SciBar Cosmic Ray Telescope installed in the same place, which is in the process of operation parameter tuning and calibration. The SciCRT will work mainly as a Solar Neutron and Muon Telescope.

Downloads

Published

2019-09-02

How to Cite

[1]
E. Ortiz, “Neutron and gamma-ray fluxes measured by SciCRT prototype at the top of Sierra Negra volcano, Mexico”, Rev. Mex. Fís., vol. 65, no. 5 Sept-Oct, pp. 545–553, Sep. 2019.

Issue

Vol. 65 No. 5 Sept-Oct (2019): Revista Mexicana de Física

Section

09 Instrumentation

License

Authors retain copyright and grant the Revista Mexicana de Física right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.