Ground level enhancements (GLEs) are space weather events that pose a potential hazard to the aviation environment through single event effects in avionics and increased dose to passengers and crew. The existing ground level neutron monitoring network provides continuous and well-characterized measurements of the radiation environment. However, there are only a few dozen active stations worldwide, and there has not been a UK-based station for several decades. Much smaller neutron detectors are increasingly deployed throughout the world with the purpose of using secondary neutrons from cosmic rays to monitor local soil moisture conditions (COSMOS). Space weather signals from GLEs and Forbush decreases have been identified in COSMOS data. Monte Carlo simulations of atmospheric radiation propagation show that a single COSMOS detector is sufficient to detect the signal of a medium-strength (10%–100% increase above background) GLE at high statistical significance, including at fine temporal resolution. Use of fine temporal resolution would also provide a capability to detect Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flashes (via secondary neutrons) which are produced by certain lightning discharges and which can provide a hazard to aircraft, particularly in tropical regions. We also show how the COsmic-ray Soil Moisture Observing System-UK detector network could be used to provide warnings at the International Civil Aviation Organization “Moderate” and “Severe” dose rate thresholds at aviation altitudes, and how multiple-detector hubs situated at strategic UK locations could detect a small GLE at high statistical significance and infer crucial information on the nature of the primary spectrum.

中文翻译：

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使用土壤湿度传感器网络检测地平面增强

地面增强 (GLE) 是空间天气事件，通过航空电子设备中的单一事件效应和对乘客和机组人员的剂量增加，对航空环境构成潜在危害。现有的地面中子监测网络提供了对辐射环境的连续和充分表征的测量。然而，全球只有几十个活跃的电台，几十年来一直没有一个英国电台。世界各地越来越多地部署了更小的中子探测器，目的是使用来自宇宙射线的二次中子来监测当地的土壤水分状况 (COSMOS)。来自 GLE 和 Forbush 下降的空间天气信号已在 COSMOS 数据中确定。大气辐射传播的蒙特卡罗模拟表明，单个 COSMOS 探测器足以以高统计显着性（包括精细时间分辨率）探测中等强度（比背景增加 10%–100%）GLE 的信号。使用精细的时间分辨率也将提供检测由某些闪电放电产生并且可能对飞机造成危害的地面伽马射线闪光（通过二次中子）的能力，特别是在热带地区。我们还展示了如何使用宇宙射线土壤水分观测系统-英国探测器网络在国际民航组织的航空高度“中等”和“严重”剂量率阈值处提供警告，