Speaker
Description
Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) are continuously modulated in the heliosphere by solar wind structures and transient disturbances, producing measurable variations in secondary cosmic ray (SCR) fluxes at Earth. We present a multi-year analysis of SCR in Mexico City, based on observations from a scintillator-based muon detector, which measured an average flux of (97.5 $\pm$ 3.0) m$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ sr$^{-1}$, and simultaneous hadronic measurements from a 6NM-64 neutron monitor. By correlating muon and hadronic flux variations recorded over a two-year period, we investigate the comparative response of muonic and hadronic components to heliospheric modulation processes. Pressure-corrected relative flux variations were analyzed, from an average barometric coefficient of (-0.225 $\pm$ 0.003) % mbar$^{-1}$ was obtained, in relation to geomagnetic and space weather parameters in order to assess the impact of solar emissions and geomagnetic storms on SCR intensities. To characterize the detector performance, a Geant4 simulation was developed to model the response of the plastic scintillator and photomultiplier tube, including energy deposition and optical photon transport. The detector response studies constitute a step toward future muon background measurements near the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and provide complementary insight into the transport of GCRs under disturbed solar wind conditions, acting as ground-based diagnostics of space weather activity.