Measurement of the Regener–pfotzer Maximum Using Different Types of Ionising Radiation Detectors and a New Telemetry System Tf-Atmon

Abstract

Stratospheric balloons are a useful tool for the investigation of cosmic radiation at high altitudes and the tests of new detectors of cosmic radiation. Due to necessary data processing, the balloon gondola needs to carry, together with radiation detectors, additional supplementary sensors measuring humidity, temperature, location and orientation, altitude, atmospheric pressure, acceleration, etc. A newly developed universal system TF-ATMON, based on using already existing tools of the PX4 open-source project, enables apart from data recording and monitoring, also the possibility to trace the balloon gondola after the flight. The application was demonstrated on stratospheric balloon flight FIK-6. This flight was unique because three different types of radiation detectors were used at one flight. It enabled us to compare the altitude of the Regener–Pfotzer maximum measured with different types of sensors sensitive to a different type of secondary cosmic radiation generated in the atmosphere.

How can we simulate ionizing radiation at aviation altitudes from TGFs?

“…To better understand these phenomena, the Nuclear Physics Institute (NPI) of the Czech Academy of Science CAS (NPI), the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the CAS (IAP), and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU) have created the Research Center of Cosmic Rays and Radiation Events in the Atmosphere (CRREAT). The CRREAT team measures both lightning and ionizing radiation during thunderstorms using detectors mounted on cars and on high mountains, and the dose contribution from these high-energy phenomena using various methods, including CR measurements onboard aircraft [23,30,32,33], on-ground tests [32,34], and real measurements onboard unmanned aerial vehicles. The team is also performing long-term monitoring using a hybrid detector onboard commercial aircraft [35].…”