München 2019 – scientific programme

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EP: Fachverband Extraterrestrische Physik

EP 4: Sun and Heliosphere II

EP 4.6: Talk

Wednesday, March 20, 2019, 12:45–13:00, HS 19

Thermal Atmospheric Neutron Observation System Junior Flight Results — •Lisa Romaneehsen, Friederike Schattke, Marc Hansen, Patrick Pohland, Jonas Zumkeller, Bernd Heber, and Robert Wimmer-Schweingruber — Christian-Albrechts- Universität zu Kiel, Institut für Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Abteilung Extraterrestrische Physik, Deutschland

The Earth is continuously exposed to high energy charged particles from galactic cosmic rays. Due to galactic cosmic rays interacting with atmospheric particles, secondary neutrons are generated. Those are moderated to thermal energies below 0.025 eV through elastic scattering. The main objective of the Thermal Atmospheric Neutron Observation System (TANOS) is to measure the flux of thermal neutrons in the stratosphere. In order to measure these low energy neutrons we make use of the conversion electrons resulting through thermal neutron capture in Gadolinium. Gadolinium is particularly suitable for the experiment due to its high cross section of 49000 barn. To validate this method we built, tested, and launched a simplified version of the TANOS detector on a weather balloon in September 2018. The balloon reached a height of 39 km and crossed the Pfotzer maximum at 20 km. However, the analysis of the neutron channel can be contaminated by x-rays. In this talk we will present and discuss the results of the flight.