HAWC as a Ground-Based Space-Weather Observatory

Alvarez C, Angeles Camacho JR, Arteaga-Velázquez JC, Arunbabu KP, Avila Rojas D, Baghmanyan V, Belmont-Moreno E, BenZvi SY, Brisbois C, Caballero-Mora KS, Capistrán T, Colín-Farias P, Cotti U, Cotzomi J, Coutiño de León S, De la Fuente E, Dichiara S, Dingus BL, DuVernois MA, Díaz-Vélez JC, Espinoza C, Fraija N, Galván-Gámez A, Garcia D, García-González JA, Garfias F, González MM, Goodman JA, Harding JP, Hernandez S, Hona B, Huang D, Hueyotl-Zahuantitla F, Iriarte A, Joshi V, Kunde GJ, Lara A, León Vargas H, Longinotti AL, Luis-Raya G, Malone K, Martinez O, Martínez-Castro J, Matthews JA, Miranda-Romagnoli P, Morales-Soto JA, Moreno E, Nayerhoda A, Nellen L, Newbold M, Noriega-Papaqui R, Peisker A, Pérez Araujo Y, Pérez-Pérez EG, Rho CD, Rosa-González D, Rosenberg M, Ryan J, Salazar H, Sandoval A, Springer RW, Tabachnick E, Tibolla O, Tollefson K, Torres I, Torres-Escobedo R, Villaseñor L, Zepeda A, Zhou H, de León C (2021)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

Book Volume: 296

Article Number: 89

Journal Issue: 6

DOI: 10.1007/s11207-021-01827-z

Abstract

The High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) gamma-ray observatory is located close to the equator (latitude 18 ^∘ N), at an altitude of 4100 m above sea level. HAWC has 295 water Cherenkov detectors (WCD), each containing four photomultiplier tubes (PMT). The main purpose of HAWC is the determination of the energy and arrival direction of very high energy gamma rays produced by energetic processes in the universe, HAWC also has a scaler system which counts the arrival of secondary particles to the detector. In this work we show that the scaler system of HAWC is an ideal instrument for solar modulation and space-weather studies due to its large area and high sensitivity. In order to prepare the scaler system for low energy heliospheric studies, we model and correct the efficiency variation of each PMT of the array, which result in a capability to measure variations > 0.01 % with high accuracy. Using the singular value decomposition method, we correct the rate deviations of all PMTs of the array, due to changes in efficiency, gain and operational voltage. We isolate and remove the atmospheric modulations of the PMTs count rates measured by the TDC-scaler data acquisition system. In particular, the atmospheric pressure at the HAWC site exhibits an oscillating behavior with a period of ∼12 hours and we make use of this periodic property to estimate the pressure coefficients for the HAWC TDC-scaler system. These corrections performed on the TDC-scaler system make the HAWC TDC-scaler system an ideal instrument for solar modulation and space-weather studies. As examples of this capability, we present the preliminary analysis of the solar modulation of cosmic rays at three time scales observed by HAWC, with an unprecedented accuracy.

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas (UNACH) Mexico (MX) National Autonomous University of Mexico / Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) Mexico (MX) Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo (UMSNH) Mexico (MX) Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences / Instytut Fizyki Jądrowej im. Henryka Niewodniczańskiego Polskiej Akademii Nauk Poland (PL) University of Rochester (UR) United States (USA) (US) Michigan Technological University United States (USA) (US) National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics / Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica (INAOE) Mexico (MX) Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP) / Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla Mexico (MX) Universidad de Guadalajara (UDEG) Mexico (MX) Los Alamos National Laboratory United States (USA) (US) University of Wisconsin - Madison United States (USA) (US) University of Maryland United States (USA) (US) Universidad Politécnica de Pachuca (UPP) Mexico (MX) National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico / Instituto Politécnico Nacional de México Mexico (MX) University of New Mexico (UNM) / Universidad de Nuevo México United States (USA) (US) Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo / Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo Mexico (MX) University of Utah United States (USA) (US) Michigan State University United States (USA) (US) Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) United States (USA) (US) University of New Hampshire United States (USA) (US) Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute / Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN) Mexico (MX)

How to cite

APA:

Alvarez, C., Angeles Camacho, J.R., Arteaga-Velázquez, J.C., Arunbabu, K.P., Avila Rojas, D., Baghmanyan, V.,... de León, C. (2021). HAWC as a Ground-Based Space-Weather Observatory. Solar Physics, 296(6). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-021-01827-z

MLA:

Alvarez, C., et al. "HAWC as a Ground-Based Space-Weather Observatory." Solar Physics 296.6 (2021).

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