| NSF Org: |
AGS Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences |
| Recipient: |
|
| Initial Amendment Date: | June 3, 2014 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | January 13, 2017 |
| Award Number: | 1442651 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Ilia Roussev
AGS Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | June 1, 2014 |
| End Date: | December 31, 2017 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $20,026.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $24,030.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2016 = $4,004.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
|
| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
51 COLLEGE RD DURHAM NH US 03824-2620 (603)862-2172 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
|
| Primary Place of Performance: |
2779 White Mountain Highway North Conway NH US 03860-5194 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
|
| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
|
| Parent UEI: |
|
| NSF Program(s): | SOLAR-TERRESTRIAL |
| Primary Program Source: |
01001617DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
|
| Program Element Code(s): |
|
| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.050 |
ABSTRACT
The main objective of this 1-year RAPID project is to re-deploy the Mount Washington (MW) Neutron Monitor (NM), which will subsequently allow the project team to: (i) re-integrate it with the global NM network; (ii) provide data to the world-wide cosmic-ray and heliospheric communities; (iii) with the Durham NM, re-create one of the rare pairs of stations immune to anisotropy effects present during a GLE (Ground Level Enhancements) onset; and, (iv) resume the long-term heliosphere monitoring of the galactic cosmic ray (GCR) intensity for multi-cycle modulation studies.
The re-deployment of the MW NM would also provide an educational experience for the students of the Berlin High School Vocational Program. The erection of the shack at the summit is a term project for several students in the School. Furthermore, undergraduate students at the UNH will participate in the re-deployment effort. They will participate in ethernet cabling, instrument assembly, testing, software integration and the longer term effort of joining the Mt. Washington data from 2006 and earlier with the current data. The research and EPO agenda of this project supports the Strategic Goals of the AGS Division in discovery, learning, diversity, and interdisciplinary research.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
For years the Mount Washington neutron monitor monitored the activity of the Sun-induced activity in the near-Earth environment. About ten years ago, because of the predictable horrible weather on the summit, the building that housed the instrument for so many years was falling apart. Before the building collapsed under its own weight, it was dismantled and the instrument was de-commissioned and returned to the University of New Hampshire for electronic upgrading. However, no funding was easily available to purchase or build a new building. Funding at that time was heavily weighted toward immediate science payback while infrastructure was de-emphasized. This grant provided the focused funding to engage high school students from Berlin High School Vocational Technology program to design and build a pre-fabricated building that they installed themselves during the short summer (on the summit) in 2015. A photograph of the building and the students is below.
Although rugged, an excpetionally strong storm in the winter of 2016 required a building modification and repair. The good work of the students produced a building that not only protects the instruments from the elements, but is also more energy efficient and dry. It now seems impervious to the notorious harsh weather on the summit.
The instrument is now gathering data again, but is in need to some adjustments and routine maintenance, only possible in the summer. But it provides a valuable "thermometer" to solar activity that scientists who study space weather can rely on. Furthermore, it will continue to measure the potentially dangerous bursts of solar radiation that erupt with little warning throughout the eleven-year solar cycle. It fills it role again in the world-wide network of similar instruments.
Last Modified: 05/28/2018
Modified by: James M Ryan
Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.
