measured peaks of cosmic radiation · zaanlands lyceum 18-06-2010 average of 2500 events 12˚c...

Measured peaks of cosmic radiation

Steven AsselmanZaanlands Lyceum

Presentation content

• What is HiSPARC?

• Research question

• Peak analyses

• Conclusion

• Further research

What is HiSPARC?

• ‘High School Project on Astrophysics Research with Cosmics’

• Source of high energetic particles

• Black holes, supernovas?

Cosmic showers

Detecting muons

Standard model of elementary particles

Measuring coincidences

Research question

St. Michaël College 20-05-2010

Zaanlands Lyceum 20-05-2010

Zaanlands Lyceum 20-05-2010 St. Michaël College 20-05-2010

St. Michaël College 09-06-2010

Zaanlands Lyceum 09-06-2010

Paradoxical?

St. Michaël College 09-06-2010Zaanlands Lyceum 09-06-2010

Zaanlands Lyceum 18-06-2010

Average of 2500 events

12˚C – 17˚C

Little solar

Zaanlands Lyceum 06-06-2010

Average of 3200 events

Little solar

15˚C - 25˚C

So far…

• ‘Rain’ has positive effect on coincidences

• Temperature has positive effect on coincidences

Blackett’s theory is in conflict with positive temperature effect:

With a relatively low temperature: With a relatively high temperature:

We (roughly) expect a graph like this…

Zaanlands Lyceum 06-06-2010

… but in fact we measure this:

However, at some stations it seems like we do measure this effect:

Walburg College 27-06-2010

But is the positive effect here as well?

Walburg College 27-06-2010

1700 coincidences

28˚C

200 W/m2

Walburg College 22-06-2010

1400 coincidences

20˚C

200 W/m2

If we compare the previous graphs with these graphs…

... we can conclude that the positive temperature effect is also here.

Why does a higher temperature lead to more measured coincidences?

• Michaël College has 4 detectors• Zaanlands Lyceum has 2 detectors• Detectors Zaanlands have more trouble with..thermal noise

Thermal noise

Zaanlands Lyceum 27-06-2010

Zaanlands Lyceum 22-06-2010

Blackett’s temperature effect seems to be there after all:

Conclusion

• Rain has a positive effect on measured coincidences

• Higher temperature causes thermal noise in fotomultipliertube which leads to more measured coincidences

• Coincidences caused by thermal noise can be reduced by placing more detectors

• A higher temperature of the atmosphere leads to Blackett’s temperature effect

Further research

Why can rain lead to more measured coincidences? What is the exact importance of the atmospheric pressure?

What influence does a thunderstorm have on the detectors?

Are our measurements affected by solar activity ?

What kind of influence does the calibration of the detectors have? Can we ‘calibrate away’ the thermal noise?

Why do measuring stations all over the country measure peaks during different periods of the day? Can this be explained by the (different) placement of the detectors?