Articles | Volume 15, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4769-2021
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4769-2021
Research article
 | 
11 Oct 2021
Research article |  | 11 Oct 2021

Assessment of neutrons from secondary cosmic rays at mountain altitudes – Geant4 simulations of environmental parameters including soil moisture and snow cover

Thomas Brall, Vladimir Mares, Rolf Bütikofer, and Werner Rühm

Cited articles

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Andreasen, M., Jensen, K. H., Desilets, D., Franz, T. E., Zreda, M., Bogena, H. R., and Looms, M. C.: Status and perspectives on the cosmic-ray neutron method for soil moisture estimation and other environmental science applications, Vadose Zone J., 16, 4079, https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2017.04.0086, 2017. a
Brall, T., Dommert, M., Rühm, W., Trinkl, S., Wielunski, M., and Mares, V.: Monte Carlo simulation of the CERN-EU high energy Reference Field (CERF) facility, Radiat. Meas., 133, 106294, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2020.106294, 2020. a
Brall, T., Mares, V., Bütikofer, R., and Rühm, W.: Assessment of secondary neutrons from galactic cosmic rays at mountain altitudes – Geant4 simulations and ground-based measurements of neutron energy spectra, Radiat. Meas., 144, 106592, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2021.106592, 2021. a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j
Bramblett, R. L., Ewing, R. I., and Bonner, T. W.: A new type of neutron spectrometer, Nucl. Instrum. Meth. Phys. Res., 9, 1–12, https://doi.org/10.1016/0029-554X(60)90043-4, 1960. a
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Short summary
Neutrons from secondary cosmic rays, measured at 2660 m a.s.l. at Zugspitze, Germany, are highly affected by the environment, in particular by snow, soil moisture, and mountain shielding. To quantify these effects, computer simulations were carried out, including a sensitivity analysis on snow depth and soil moisture. This provides a possibility for snow depth estimation based on the measured number of secondary neutrons. This method was applied at Zugspitze in 2018.
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