Measurements and Simulations of Secondaries with a Detector Station S Using Camac Data Acquisition

Abstract

In this thesis, cosmic ray secondary particles have been observed with the help of scintillation detectors which were assembled in the Nuclear Electronics Laboratory, Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Agra (latitude: 27.18and#9702;N, longitude: 78.01and#9702;E, altitude: 168 m) in 2012. This thesis deals with experimental observation of the secondaries flux reaching the ground. The muon flux was measured using the coincidence method to find its correlation with the atmospheric parameters such as pressure and temperature. Zenith angle distribution of the muon flux has also been observed with the help of a rotating frame. After these studies, a CAMAC based data acquisition has been installed to study the energy and time spectra for these secondary particles. This thesis elaborates real-life applications of the cosmic ray particles in which the effect of cosmic rays in space has been studied and the best material has been found to protect the astronaut from the galactic cosmic rays. A method to scan the radioactive container has also been studied with the help of Monte-Carlo simulations (Geant4) which is called muon tomography. In this study, a dry cask container has been simulated which contains the UO2 rods and the muon scattering has been observed. Initial studies were based on muon telescope, after which an array called DEASA (Dayalbagh Educational Air Shower Array) consisting of eight plastic scintillators each with an area of 1 square meter, has been set up. This array covers an area of 260 square meters and is the first array in the northern part of our country. The aim behind setting up this array is to teach the students about the cosmic ray showers. Since the detectors were installed, the count rate monitoring for a period of one month has been reported in this thesis. The cosmic ray shower has been simulated in CORSIKA for the different primary particles in the energy range of 1014- 1015 eV. In this case, the longitudinal and lateral profile has been studied for Agra (168 m above sea level). newline