Project GRAND Website: http://www.nd.edu/~grand

ICRC 2011

Beijing, China

Status Report Status Report on on

Project Project GRANDGRAND

University of Notre DameUniversity of Notre Dame

Presented By Christopher Presented By Christopher D’AndreaD’Andrea

John Poirier, C. D’andrea, C. Barry, T. Catanach,

L. Cheng, T. Wilson, and C. Swartzendruber.

Project GRAND Website: http://www.nd.edu/~grand

ICRC 2011

Beijing, China

Status of Project GRANDStatus of Project GRAND

Introduction: What is GRAND?Introduction: What is GRAND?

What’s New with GRAND?What’s New with GRAND?

Using GRAND for Education and Using GRAND for Education and OutreachOutreach

Recent ResultsRecent Results

Project GRAND Website: http://www.nd.edu/~grand

ICRC 2011

Beijing, China

Project GRANDProject GRAND

An array of 64 Proportional Wire Chamber An array of 64 Proportional Wire Chamber Stations Stations

Detects secondary muons (~1800/s) from Detects secondary muons (~1800/s) from hadronic primaries. hadronic primaries.

Project GRAND Website: http://www.nd.edu/~grand

ICRC 2011

Beijing, China

PWC StationsPWC Stations Four orthogonal pairs of Four orthogonal pairs of

PWC planesPWC planes Each plane has 80 Each plane has 80

detection cells with a detection cells with a width of 1.4cmwidth of 1.4cm

Total active detection Total active detection area of 1.29marea of 1.29m22 per per station.station.

Mean angular resolution Mean angular resolution of 0.5of 0.5oo

Chambers are Chambers are inexpensive to produce.inexpensive to produce.

Project GRAND Website: http://www.nd.edu/~grand

ICRC 2011

Beijing, China

Worldwide Muon DetectorsWorldwide Muon Detectors

GRAND in geographical relation to other GRAND in geographical relation to other muon detectors. muon detectors.

G

Project GRAND Website: http://www.nd.edu/~grand

ICRC 2011

Beijing, China

Automation:Automation: Data Collection is now done to disk instead of 8mm tapesData Collection is now done to disk instead of 8mm tapes Ar/Co2 gas is now electronically monitoredAr/Co2 gas is now electronically monitored

Backups:Backups: The Computing Research Center (CRC) at Notre Dame has The Computing Research Center (CRC) at Notre Dame has

engineered an archival data storage device capable of holding engineered an archival data storage device capable of holding over 7TB of data. over 7TB of data.

This remote data backup is done within a two hour delay. A This remote data backup is done within a two hour delay. A second backup of the data is also saved locally until the remote second backup of the data is also saved locally until the remote backup is confirmed.backup is confirmed.

UpdatesUpdates

Project GRAND Website: http://www.nd.edu/~grand

ICRC 2011

Beijing, China

Updates - AccessUpdates - Access Raw Data:Raw Data:

Can now be accessed via a Chirp server. A full day of data Can now be accessed via a Chirp server. A full day of data (~2TB) can be accessed and processed within minutes.(~2TB) can be accessed and processed within minutes.

Station Diagnostics:Station Diagnostics: Available in real time.Available in real time. Can be viewed on the internet. Allows for faster response to Can be viewed on the internet. Allows for faster response to

problems.problems.

Online Data:Online Data: Available in real time every 10 minutes. Current and archived Available in real time every 10 minutes. Current and archived

data can be viewed.data can be viewed. Data is available in raw form or with correction factors (e.g. Data is available in raw form or with correction factors (e.g.

pressure).pressure).

Project GRAND Website: http://www.nd.edu/~grand

ICRC 2011

Beijing, China

OUTREACHOUTREACH GRAND has been an excellent tool for outreach and undergraduate GRAND has been an excellent tool for outreach and undergraduate

research:research: 2 - 3 undergraduate students typically work with Project GRAND during the 2 - 3 undergraduate students typically work with Project GRAND during the

academic year.academic year. Since 1999 there have been 1-3 REU students conducting research using Since 1999 there have been 1-3 REU students conducting research using

GRAND for 10 weeks during the summer.GRAND for 10 weeks during the summer. Since 2004 there have been 1 – 2 REHS student who have worked with GRAND Since 2004 there have been 1 – 2 REHS student who have worked with GRAND

for 10 weeks during the summer.for 10 weeks during the summer. The high-school students are typically supervised by 1 – 2 RET (high school The high-school students are typically supervised by 1 – 2 RET (high school

teachers) during these periods.teachers) during these periods.

Undergraduate students:Undergraduate students: spend some time learning how to operate the system and conducting spend some time learning how to operate the system and conducting

diagnostics.diagnostics. Other time is spent writing software and conducting undergraduate research Other time is spent writing software and conducting undergraduate research

using GRAND’s stored data.using GRAND’s stored data.

High School Students:High School Students: Typically spend the majority of the time learning how the individual detectors Typically spend the majority of the time learning how the individual detectors

operate and diagnosing and repairing the hardware to improve operation.operate and diagnosing and repairing the hardware to improve operation. Some additional time is spent using data and the online visualization webpage Some additional time is spent using data and the online visualization webpage

for small projects.for small projects.

Project GRAND Website: http://www.nd.edu/~grand

ICRC 2011

Beijing, China

GLE of 1/20/2005GLE of 1/20/2005GRAND has previously published data on this January 20, 2005 GLE. GRAND is the blue circles and the Newark neutron monitor is the red

squares.

This plot uses 3 minute bins of time for the muons. This is a bit large considering the time of the flare so it was re-analyzed in smaller (15

second) time bins.

Project GRAND Website: http://www.nd.edu/~grand

ICRC 2011

Beijing, China

GLE of 1/20/2005GLE of 1/20/2005Fifteen second time

bins

Angles near vertical (lower energy

primaries / less noise)

FWHM of 3 minutes

Project GRAND Website: http://www.nd.edu/~grand

ICRC 2011

Beijing, China

GLE of October 2003GLE of October 2003

The decrease in the total muon counting rate for October 29 – 30 is shown in the top figure:

GRAND experienced ~8% rapid decrease in counting rate and the beginning of a slow rise in counting rate.

The bottom figure shows the mean angle of the muons during the decrease in the North-Up and East-Up projected planes.

There is a noticeable, statistically significant shift in the mean direction during the time of the decrease.

Project GRAND Website: http://www.nd.edu/~grand

ICRC 2011

Beijing, China

Thanks…Thanks… Doug Thain and Notre Dame CRC for providing Doug Thain and Notre Dame CRC for providing on-campus data backup on-campus data backup

system that contributes to the 24/7 continuous operation and security of the data. system that contributes to the 24/7 continuous operation and security of the data.

National Science Foundation for programs assisting students and teachers in National Science Foundation for programs assisting students and teachers in participating in basic research. participating in basic research.

Project GRAND was constructed and is funded by grants from the NSF Project GRAND was constructed and is funded by grants from the NSF and private donations.and private donations.

Calvin Swartzendruber for continuing work this summer on station improvementsCalvin Swartzendruber for continuing work this summer on station improvements

Brian Knorr, Freddy Martinez, Tom Scrace, James Tucci, Jr., Meghan Mahoney, Brian Knorr, Freddy Martinez, Tom Scrace, James Tucci, Jr., Meghan Mahoney, Caela Barry, Lidens Cheng, Taiyo Wilson, and Molly Ball for their work on the data Caela Barry, Lidens Cheng, Taiyo Wilson, and Molly Ball for their work on the data analyses. analyses.

GRAND’s Website: GRAND’s Website: http://www.nd.edu/~grandhttp://www.nd.edu/~grand