ASET Colloquium
An indigenous muon telescope to probe atmospheric, solar and Galactic phenomena
by Dr. Pravata K. Mohanty (DHEP, TIFR, Mumbai), Mr. Atul Jain (DHEP, TIFR, Mumbai), Mr. Ramesh K (DHEP, TIFR, Mumbai)
Friday, December 3, 2021
from
to
(Asia/Kolkata)
at Online ( https://zoom.us/j/91427966752 )
at Online ( https://zoom.us/j/91427966752 )
Description |
The GRAPES-3 experiment at the Cosmic Ray Laboratory in Ooty, Tamil Nadu is home to the world's largest muon telescope. It consists of nearly 4000 proportional counters, made of mild-steel square tubes of 0.1 x 0.1 m2 cross-section and 6m length each. The discovery of a transient weakening of the Earth’s magnetic shield due to space weather [1] and the first measurement of a Gigavolt potential in thunderstorms highlight the unprecedented sensitivity of the muon telescope [2]. Construction of another large muon telescope, currently under progress, is expected to enrich the physics potentials of GRAPES-3 in addressing the origin of Galactic cosmic rays, through accurate measurements of cosmic ray composition as well as enable the identification of PeV gamma-ray sources. Nearly 4000 proportional counters as required for the new muon telescope have been successfully manufactured completely in-house in the GRAPES-3 laboratory, and installed in the muon telescope. Starting with physics motivations, this talk will take you through the journey and challenges involved in making these many proportional counters in such a way they will operate in the field for at least 3 to 4 decades, along with the successful development of advanced electronics for the station. References: [1] P .K. Mohanty et al., PRL, 117, 171101 (2016). [2] B. Harihahan et al., PRL, 122, 105101 (2019). |
Organised by | Dr. Satyanarayana Bheesette |