Award Abstract # 2149809
Collaborative Research: ANSWERS: Solar Energetic Particles, Solar Neutrons, and a New Space Weather Facility in Hawaii

NSF Org: AGS
Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences
Recipient: UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII
Initial Amendment Date: April 22, 2022
Latest Amendment Date: September 4, 2024
Award Number: 2149809
Award Instrument: Continuing Grant
Program Manager: Mangala Sharma
msharma@nsf.gov
 (703)292-4773
AGS
 Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences
GEO
 Directorate for Geosciences
Start Date: July 1, 2022
End Date: June 30, 2026 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $1,229,153.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $1,229,153.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2022 = $613,131.00
FY 2023 = $305,149.00

FY 2024 = $310,873.00
History of Investigator:
  • Veronica Bindi (Principal Investigator)
    bindi@hawaii.edu
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: University of Hawaii
2425 CAMPUS RD SINCLAIR RM 1
HONOLULU
HI  US  96822-2247
(808)956-7800
Sponsor Congressional District: 01
Primary Place of Performance: Haleakala High Altitude Observatory Site
Kula
Kula
HI  US  96790-3100
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
02
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): NSCKLFSSABF2
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s): SOLAR-TERRESTRIAL,
Space Weather Research
Primary Program Source: 01002324DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT

01002425DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT

01002223DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
Program Reference Code(s): 8092, 9150, 4444
Program Element Code(s): 152300, 808900
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.050

ABSTRACT

This project will measure the most powerful particles emitted by the Sun, i.e., Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs) and Solar Neutron Particles (SNPs). These particles pose risks to astronauts and can lead to significant degradation or failure of electronics in space. Monitoring the particles and developing alert systems are important to advance resilience against such space weather hazards. Because SNPs arrive earlier than SEPs, their detection provides several extra minutes of warning for taking action. The project team from the University of Hawaii, University of New Hampshire, and University of Arizona will set up a new space weather (SW) center in Hawaii and deploy a neutron monitor (NM) on the summit of the Haleakala volcano. They will analyze energetic particle data from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) on the International Space Station and ground-based NMs. A report on these observations will be made available in real time to global and domestic users. The SW center will also provide extensive outreach programs advancing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics expertise, especially among young women and underrepresented groups.

This work addresses the causes of ground-level events from SEP events, specifically in the context of propagation and event characteristics. The team will analyze SEP events detected by AMS, employ models for tracking particle propagation in various regions of the heliosphere and Earth's magnetosphere and atmosphere, and extend the coverage of the NM network to a station particularly suitable for detecting SNPs and galactic cosmic rays with rigidity cutoff above 13 GV. Comparing direct measurements in space by AMS with those on the ground by NMs will shed light on the atmospheric shower cascades that lead to secondary particle production and probe the validity of different models for nuclear interactions in the low energy range (hundreds of MeV to few GeV) involving iron and light elements up to oxygen. Real-time monitoring data, parameters related to the interplanetary and geomagnetic environment, and space weather alerts will be provided by the SW center. High school students will be engaged in the science through science festivals, visits to the NM detector and working with NM and AMS studies at the SW center. ANSWERS projects advance the nation?s STEM expertise and societal resilience to space weather hazards by filling key knowledge gaps regarding the coupled Sun-Earth system.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

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Aguilar, M and Alpat, B and Ambrosi, G and Anderson, H and Arruda, L and Attig, N and Bagwell, C and Barao, F and Barbanera, M and Barrin, L and Bartoloni, A and Battiston, R and Bayyari, A and Belyaev, N and Bertucci, B and Bindi, V and Bollweg, K and Bo "Properties of Cosmic Deuterons Measured by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer" Physical Review Letters , v.132 , 2024 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.261001 Citation Details
Aguilar, M and Alpat, B and Ambrosi, G and Anderson, H and Arruda, L and Attig, N and Bagwell, C and Barao, F and Barbanera, M and Barrin, L and Bartoloni, A and Battiston, R and Bayyari, A and Belyaev, N and Bertucci, B and Bindi, V and Bollweg, K and Bo "Solar Modulation of Cosmic Nuclei over a Solar Cycle: Results from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer" Physical Review Letters , v.134 , 2025 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.051001 Citation Details
Aguilar, M and Ambrosi, G and Anderson, H and Arruda, L and Attig, N and Bagwell, C and Barao, F and Barbanera, M and Barrin, L and Bartoloni, A and Battiston, R and Bayyari, A and Belyaev, N and Bertucci, B and Bindi, V and Bollweg, K and Bolster, J and "Properties of Cosmic Lithium Isotopes Measured by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer" Physical Review Letters , v.134 , 2025 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.201001 Citation Details

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