Solar particle event analysis using the standard radiation environment monitors: applying the neutron monitor's experience A. Papaioannou1, H. Mavromichalaki1, M. Gerontidou1, G. Souvatzoglou1, P. Nieminen2, and A. Glover2 1Nuclear and Particle Physics Section, Physics Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece 2European Space Agency, European Research and Technology Center, ESTEC, Noordijk, The Netherlands
Received: 02 Oct 2010 – Revised: 01 Dec 2010 – Accepted: 02 Dec 2010 – Published: 13 Jan 2011
Abstract. The Standard Radiation Environment Monitor (SREM) is a particle detector developed by the
European Space Agency for satellite applications with the main purpose to provide radiation hazard alarms
to the host spacecraft. SREM units have been constructed within a radiation hardening concept and therefore
are able to register extreme solar particle events (SPEs). Large SPEs are registered at Earth, by ground
based detectors as neutron monitors, in the form of Ground Level Enhancements of solar cosmic rays. In
this work, a feasibility study of a possible radiation alert, deduced by SREM measurements was implemented
for the event of 20 January 2005. Taking advantage of the neutron monitor's experience, the steps of the
GLE alert algorithm were put into practice on SREM measurements. The outcome was that SREM units did register
the outgoing SPE on-time and that these could serve as indicators of radiation hazards, leading to successful
alerts.
Citation: Papaioannou, A., Mavromichalaki, H., Gerontidou, M., Souvatzoglou, G., Nieminen, P., and Glover, A.: Solar particle event analysis using the standard radiation environment monitors: applying the neutron monitor's experience, Astrophys. Space Sci. Trans., 7, 1-5, doi:10.5194/astra-7-1-2011, 2011.