Spaceship Earth (detector)
Encyclopedia
Spaceship Earth is a network of neutron monitor
s designed to measure the flux of cosmic ray
s arriving at Earth from different directions. All the 12 member neutron monitor stations are located at high (Northern or Southern) latitude, which makes their detecting directions more precise, and their energy responses uniform. Their combined signals provide a real-time measurement of the three-dimensional distribution of cosmic rays, mainly galactic cosmic ray
s as well as solar energetic particles during the most intense solar events. Analyses of these data have applications in space weather
studies.
Neutron monitor
A neutron monitor is a ground-based detector designed to measure the number of high-energy charged particles striking the Earth's atmosphere from outer space. For historical reasons the incoming particles are called "cosmic rays", but in fact they are particles, predominantly protons and Helium...
s designed to measure the flux of cosmic ray
Cosmic ray
Cosmic rays are energetic charged subatomic particles, originating from outer space. They may produce secondary particles that penetrate the Earth's atmosphere and surface. The term ray is historical as cosmic rays were thought to be electromagnetic radiation...
s arriving at Earth from different directions. All the 12 member neutron monitor stations are located at high (Northern or Southern) latitude, which makes their detecting directions more precise, and their energy responses uniform. Their combined signals provide a real-time measurement of the three-dimensional distribution of cosmic rays, mainly galactic cosmic ray
Galactic cosmic ray
Galactic cosmic rays are cosmic rays that have their origin inside our Galaxy. GCRs are high-energy charged particles, and are usually protons, electrons, and fully ionized nuclei of light elements...
s as well as solar energetic particles during the most intense solar events. Analyses of these data have applications in space weather
Space weather
Space weather is the concept of changing environmental conditions in near-Earth space or thespace from the Sun's atmosphere to the Earth's atmosphere. It is distinct from the concept ofweather within the Earth's planetary atmosphere...
studies.
Locations
Spaceship Earth is a multinational collaboration, with participating institutions from the United States of America, Russia, Canada, and Australia.- The Bartol Research Institute at the University of DelawareUniversity of DelawareThe university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
, U.S.A., operates the stations at McMurdoMcMurdo StationMcMurdo Station is a U.S. Antarctic research center located on the southern tip of Ross Island, which is in the New Zealand-claimed Ross Dependency on the shore of McMurdo Sound in Antarctica. It is operated by the United States through the United States Antarctic Program, a branch of the National...
(Antarctica), ThuleQaanaaqQaanaaq is the main town in the northern part of the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is one of the northernmost towns in the world. The inhabitants of Qaanaaq speak the West Greenlandic language and many also speak Inuktun. The town has a population of 626 as of 2010...
(Greenland), Inuvik (Northwest Territories, Canada), Fort SmithFort Smith, Northwest TerritoriesFort Smith is a town in the South Slave Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is located in the southeastern portion of the Northwest Territories, on the Slave River and adjacent to the NWT/Alberta border.-History:Fort Smith's history began because of the Slave River and the vital link...
(Northwest Territories, Canada), Peawanuck (Ontario, Canada), and Nain (Labrador, Canada). - IZMIRAN and the Polar Geophysical Institute, Russia, operate the Russian stations of ApatityApatityApatity is a town in Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located along the Murmansk Railway between Lake Imandra and Khibiny Massif, west of Kirovsk and south of Murmansk, the administrative center of the oblast...
, BarentsburgBarentsburgBarentsburg is the second largest settlement on Svalbard, with about 500 inhabitants , almost entirely Russians and Ukrainians. The Russian-owned Arktikugol has been mining coal here since 1932.-Status:...
, Cape Schmidt, NorilskNorilskNorilsk is an industrial city in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located between the Yenisei River and the Taymyr Peninsula. Population: It was granted city status in 1953. It is the northernmost city in Siberia and the world's second largest city north of the Arctic Circle...
, and Tixie Bay. - The Australian Antarctic DivisionAustralian Antarctic DivisionThe Australian Antarctic Division is an agency of the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities . The division undertakes science programs and research projects to contribute to an understanding of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean...
, Australia, operates the station at MawsonMawson StationMawson Station is one of three permanent Australian bases in the Australian Antarctic Territory of East Antarctica. Named after Antarctic explorer Sir Douglas Mawson, the base is managed by the Australian Antarctic Division...
(Antarctica).