Speaker
Description
Cosmic rays interacting with the Earth's atmosphere generate cosmogenic neutrons, which subsequently interact with hydrogen in the atmosphere and soil to create epithermal neutrons with energies in the KeV range. The production of these particles is inversely proportional to soil hydrogen content. Cosmic Ray Neutron Sensors (CRNS) use this natural phenomenon to monitor soil moisture levels, providing valuable information for improving irrigation systems in agriculture and studying environmental behaviour.
Currently, CNRS calibration relies on fast simulations based on models of cosmic ray flux and their interaction with moist soil. However, these models fail to incorporate critical environmental variables such as altitude, geomagnetic field, and detector site atmosphere. In this study, we employ Monte Carlo simulations using Fluka and Geant4 to demonstrate the relationship between neutrons and environmental variables. This approach provides a tool for refining detector calibration at any geographical location.
