Cosmic rays detection in Saudi Arabia: Review of the facilities and preliminarily results

Abstract

Solar activity modulates cosmic ray (CR) particles with different magnitudes on different time scales. CR modulations have been studied using ground-based detectors, primarily neutron monitors, distributed around the world. In 2002, CR research began in Saudi Arabia with the installation of the first CR detector at the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) in Riyadh (lat. 24 43; long. 46 40; Rc ~ 14.4 Gv), the capital of Saudi Arabia. The facility is located in the central Arabian Peninsula. Because of its high cutoff rigidity, the site is ideal for monitoring CR variations and is of great significance to the research community.Different CR detectors employing various measuring techniques have been developed and installed, at this site, to record the intensity of cosmic rays on different time scales and assess their correlation with atmospheric and climatic parameters. They include scintillator detectors, single-channel and rotatable telescopes, multi-wire detectors, CARPET detectors, small mobile detector, and mini-neutron monitors. In this paper, we briefly describe these detectors and offer observations on their use in CR research.