Analyzing atmospheric electric field by the European SEVAN network of particle detectors

Particle detectors of the European SEVAN network located on mountain heights in Aragats (Armenia), Lomnický štít (Slovakia) and Musala (Bulgaria) are well suited for the detection of thunderstorm ground enhancements (TGEs, enhanced fluxes of electrons, gamma rays, neutrons). The modulation of charged particles flux by the electric field of the thundercloud results in a sizable change in the count rate of detectors, which measure fluxes of electrons, gamma rays, and high energy muons in the near-vertical and near-horizontal directions. The relation between electric field strength and changes of particle flux count rates is nonlinear and depends on many unknown parameters of atmospheric electric field and meteorological conditions. Nonetheless, employing extreme TGEs as a manifestation of the strong electric field in the thundercloud and by measuring fluxes of three species of secondary cosmic rays (electrons, gamma rays, and muons) by SEVAN detectors located at altitudes of ≈ 3 km we study the extreme strength of the atmospheric electric field. With the simulation of particle traversal through the electric field with CORSIKA code (https://www.iap.kit.edu/corsika/index.php, last accessed April 21, 2021), we derive a maximum potential difference in the thunderous atmosphere to be ≈ 500 MV

Monitoring of the atmospheric electric field and cosmic-ray flux for the interpretation of results in high-energy astroparticle physics experiments

Atmospheric electric fields influence experiments using the atmosphere as a detector for very weak fluxes of highest-energy gamma rays and protons/nuclei coming from galactic and extragalactic sources. Multiplication of electrons and gamma rays in strong atmospheric electric fields change particle numbers and energy spectra of the secondary shower particles and consequently influence the reconstructed properties of the primary particles. Here, we present a MC study using the CORSIKA package to explore and quantify these effects

Atmospheric effect corrections of MuSTAnG data

The atmospheric effect correction of the muon flux measured by ground level telescopes is of special importance for further study of cosmic ray variations. The Duperier method is used to correct atmospheric effects on the muon intensity observed by the MuSTAnG telescope. Linear multiple correlation and regression analysis are applied to the data registered during the year 2009. The aerological data are obtained from daily radiosonde balloon flights of Deutscher Wetterdienst. The regression coefficients and total correlation coefficients are calculated for all directional channels. The seasonal variations are eliminated from the MuSTAnG telescope data. The results are compared with theoretical elimination of temperature variations

Atmospheric effect corrections of MuSTAnG data

The atmospheric effect correction of the muon flux measured by ground level telescopes is of special importance for further study of cosmic ray variations. The Duperier method is used to correct atmospheric effects on the muon intensity observed by the MuSTAnG telescope. Linear multiple correlation and regression analysis are applied to the data registered during the year 2009. The aerological data are obtained from daily radiosonde balloon flights of Deutscher Wetterdienst. The regression coefficients and total correlation coefficients are calculated for all directional channels. The seasonal variations are eliminated from the MuSTAnG telescope data. The results are compared with theoretical elimination of temperature variations