Cosmic Ray Detection

If they’re out there, we’ll find them.

*Space photos from Gateway to Space class launch in 2005 by team Hooligans*

Joanna GordonShane Mayer-Gawlik

Alden Cooper

DemoSat IV:

August 9, 2006

Mission Statement and Goals

• Successfully detect cosmic rays.• See transition from a ground radiation dominated

environment, to a cosmic radiation dominated one.• Using a haze reducing lens, reduce the haze in photos. • Using voice recorder, observe the change in sound from

the clicks of the Geiger counter as the lack of air increases and as a back up memory source for geiger counter.

• Using a HOBO data logger, record temperature, and humidity inside and outside the box.

The Beginning

• We started from scratch at least four times.• We started with trying to build our own Geiger counter,

utilizing a series of charged grids.

• We moved on to dual 300 mm Ultra-AS detectors linked to a single fast acting pre-amplifier.

Design Issues

• Geiger counter wand had to stay in a pressurized container. To accomplish this, we used a Nalgene bottle and lots of glue.

• Needed a big box to house our delicate circuit board and Geiger counter.

• Nalgene bottle needed to be placed vertical and not be able to move.

• Mount batteries, camera, timing switches, and heaters in a place where they wouldn’t move and hit Geiger counter or circuit board.

• Box must stay warm to keep batteries from failing. To accomplish this we used two layers of insulation, resistor heater, and hand warmers to heat the large interior of our box

• In case battery on Board of Education failed, we have two backup batteries to make sure that nothing gets erased or overwritten.

• Because of our huge box, we ended up going over the wait limit by 600 grams, for a grand total of 2.1Kg.

• Our cost ended up at $550.00.

24LC256 DS1602

1 1 1

24LC256

Pin 3 Pin 2 Pin 10

R110k

R210k

V13Vdc

V25Vdc

Ocilator

Pin 5Pin 4

V35Vdc

Adress 1 Adress 0

• Setup:

• PAUSE 10000

• Clock_Setup:

• 'Check to see if this is an accidental reset (battery failure).• READ 10, Temp.LOWBYTE• READ 11, Temp.HIGHBYTE• IF Temp <> 0 THEN Record• 'No data written, zero clock (clock time used as addresses)

• LOW RST• HIGH RST

• SHIFTOUT DQ, CLK, LSBFIRST, [Protocol1]

• LOW RST• HIGH RST

• SHIFTOUT DQ, CLK, LSBFIRST, [Protocol2]

• LOW RST• HIGH RST

• SHIFTOUT DQ, CLK, LSBFIRST, [Protocol3]

• LOW RST

Final circuit boardOur original circuit, with Nalgene bottle and Geiger counter

Layout of box

Original circuit HOBO Data Logger and camera with timing circuit

ResultsWhat Worked, and What Didn’t

• We got data from our Geiger counter for roughly an hour ( actual 4675 sec) or 60,000-70,000 feet. At this point we started getting erratic irrelevant data, then the wand stopped working.

• A wire from our camera came out right after launch, so we ended without any pictures.

• Got temperature, dew point, and humidity data from the HOBO Data Logger.

• Got sound from the sound recorder.

Results

Cosmic Ray Data

020406080

100120140160

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000

Time(s)

Co

un

ts P

er S

eco

nd

Series1

Cosmic Ray Data

020406080

100120140160

1800 2300 2800 3300 3800 4300 4800

Time(s)

Co

un

ts P

er S

eco

nd

Series1

Comsic Ray Data Complete

0

200

400

600

800

0 2000 4000 6000 8000

Time(s)

Co

un

ts P

er S

eco

nd

Series1

Cosmic Ray Data

0

10

20

30

40

50

2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500

Time(s)

Co

un

ts P

er S

eco

nd

Series1

ResultsTemperature

-80

-60

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

30:0

0.0

01:4

0.0

33:2

0.0

05:0

0.0

36:4

0.0

08:2

0.0

40:0

0.0

11:4

0.0

43:2

0.0

15:0

0.0

46:4

0.0

18:2

0.0

50:0

0.0

21:4

0.0

Time (s)

Tem

per

atu

re (

C)

Series1

Series2

Dew Point and Humidity

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

30:0

0.0

03:3

0.0

37:0

0.0

10:3

0.0

44:0

0.0

17:3

0.0

51:0

0.0

24:3

0.0

58:0

0.0

31:3

0.0

05:0

0.0

38:3

0.0

12:0

0.0

45:3

0.0

Time (s)

Dew

Po

int(

C)

and

H

um

idit

y(g

m/M

3)Series1

Series2

Series one: Dew pointSeries two: Humidity

Series one: Temp inside boxSeries two: Temp outside box

This data shows that our box design to keep everything warm worked flawlessly, as we never even got close to freezing.

Benefit to NASA

• NASA could benefit from the use of Nalgene bottles. Not only are they the most durable thing on earth to use for pressurized containers, they also make great water bottles.

• Additionally our data could help determine the amount of radiation exposure vital instruments receive during the course of a flight.

Lessons Learned

• Set reasonable deadlines/budgets and stick to them.

• Do not reinvent the wheel or Geiger counter as it were.

• The most important thing we learned is never to give up. Even with failure after failure, we managed to get a working payload to launch, and get useable data.

A Very Special Thanks

• This project would never have come together if it wasn’t for the help of Randy Emmons from Adams State, and from our professor, Craig Tyler.

Dr Tyler

Questions