Space physics at Lomnicky Stit Observatory

sobota 2023‐03‐25 15:25 – 15:40
  • Fakulta matematiky, fyziky a informatiky, Univerzita Komenského v Bratislave
  • Oddelenie kozmickej fyziky, Ústav experimentálnej fyziky, Slovenská akadémia vied

The observatory was established at the top of Lomnicky stit (2634 m a.s.l.) in High Tatra Mountains in Slovakia in 1957 (Dubinský et al., 1960). Its primary goal is to provide measurements of space phenomena that are possible only in a high-altitude environment. Specifically, the secondary cosmic rays with cutoff rigidity ~ 4 GV are measured by the 8-tube Neutron monitor NM64 that has been in continuous operation since 1981 (Kudela et al., 2009). Data according to international standards are available with 1 min resolution through the network of neutron monitors (LMKS, https://www.nmdb.eu). The additional cosmic rays instrument SEVAN (Space Environmental Viewing and Analysis Network) has been in operation since 2014. Its capability is to measure various species of secondary cosmic rays and also to detect the geometry of particles’ trajectories. In recent years, the data of space radiation are supplemented by measurements of the atmospheric electric field to explore connections between space and atmospheric weather events (Chum et al., 2021). The conditions and available infrastructure at Lomnicky stit allow also the acquisition of various other data such as solar corona images, meteorological, climatological, and geophysical parameters. During the contribution, details of the observation program will be presented and possibilities of participation in this program for students of astronomy and astrophysics will be discussed.