Speaker
Description
Understanding cosmic ray variations with latitude and atmospheric conditions is essential for space weather studies and particle physics education. Cosmic Watch (CW), a compact and accessible muon detector, provides a hands-on tool for studying these variations. It consists of a 5 cm × 5 cm × 1 cm plastic scintillator coupled with a silicon photomultiplier to detect scintillation light from charged particles. In this study, we deployed CW aboard the South Korean icebreaker ARAON alongside the shipborne neutron monitor “Changvan", which provides higher count statistics for atmospheric neutron detection. The detector operated inside Changvan’s insulated container during two major voyages: the Antarctic voyage (December 2023–April 2024) and the Arctic voyage (July–September 2024). The results confirm that CW count rates exhibit a latitude dependence, decreasing with increasing cutoff rigidity—the minimum momentum per unit charge (GV) required for cosmic rays to penetrate Earth’s magnetic field. We are also investigating the influence of barometric pressure on CW count rates. This study demonstrates the feasibility of CW for scientific measurements in extreme environments while promoting its role in education and outreach. The CW detector for the latitude survey was provided by Accel Kitchen. This research was partially supported by the NSRF via the Program Management Unit for Human Resources & Institutional Development, Research and Innovation (B41G680027).
