Public engagement as a scientific tool to implement multi-messenger strategies with the Cosmic-Ray Extremely Distributed Observatory

Abstract

The Cosmic-Ray Extremely Distributed Observatory (CREDO) uses the hunt for particle cascades from deep space as a vehicle for a unique "bottom-up" approach to scientific research. By engaging the non-specialist public of all ages as "citizen scientists" we create opportunities for lifelong learning for individuals as well as for cooperation and the sharing of common educational tools amongst institutions. The discoveries of these citizen scientists will feed directly into a pioneering new area of scientific research oriented on Cosmic Ray Ensembles (CRE). The detection (or nondetection) of such particle groups promises to open up a new method for exploring our universe, and a new channel on the multi-messenger stage, oriented on both astro-and geo-investigations. The opportunities this would create for cross-disciplinary research are significant and beneficial for individuals, networks of institutions and the global communities of both professional scientists and science enthusiasts.

Cosmic-Ray Extremely Distributed Observatory

“…As explained in more detail in Ref. [3], a global scale and massive, geographically spread data acquisition effort with as many detectors as possible, even small CMOS sensors in smartphones, is essential for the success of the CREDO mission. Thus, to build up the project scale, the CREDO Collaboration considers public engagement in the project a methodological must: beneficial both for the CREDO mission and for those who contribute to its implementation.…”

“…The signatures of CRE might be spread over very large areas, as illustrated in Figure 1, and this feature might make them all but impossible to detect by existing detector systems operating in isolation. On the other hand, if the active detectors operate as part of a global network, as proposed by The Cosmic-Ray Extremely Distributed Observatory (CREDO) [1][2][3], these CRE are naturally more likely to be observed. The particles (including photons) that constitute a CRE might have energies that essentially span the entire cosmic-ray energy spectrum, so in practice all cosmic-ray detectors could contribute in a common effort towards the hunt for CRE.…”

Cosmic Ray Extremely Distributed Observatory

“…1, the signatures of CRE might be spread over very large surfaces which might make them hardly detectable by existing detector systems operating individually. On the other hand, if these detector systems operate under a planetary (and beyond) network, as proposed by The Cosmic-Ray Extremely Distributed Observatory (CREDO) [1][2][3], the chances for detection of CRE will naturally increase. The components of CRE might have energies that practically span the whole cosmic-ray energy spectrum.…”

“…As explained in more details in Ref. [3], since a planetary scale and massive, geographically spread data acquisition with even small detectors such as smartphones are essential for the CREDO mission, the CREDO Collaboration considers an active engagement in the project of non-expert science enthusiasts as a methodological must: beneficial both for the project and for the contributors, and making science experts and non-professionals just one community, working hand-in-hand towards common goals. The unprecedented cosmic-ray data set to be collected and processed by CREDO will require a continuous overlook and vigilance of many people.…”

Cosmic Ray Extremely Distributed Observatory

“…This goal is already partly fulfilled by the CREDO data API described above. However, the current trend in open data publishing is to make the data a first class web citizen by publishing it in semantic formats on the Linked Open Data (LOD) [216] network 3 . For this, a suitable ontology (also sometimes called linked data vocabulary) needs to be used, that provides semantic schema for the data.…”