Lancaster University has developed and built the first space weather monitor in the UK for 40 years.
The ground-based neutron monitor - installed at a Met Office site in Cornwall - is a new improved design created by Dr Michael Aspinall and a team from the School of Engineering, in collaboration with the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and Mirion Technologies (Canberra UK) Ltd and was tested on the ChipIr beamline at STFC's ISIS neutron and muon source.
The new monitor joins an international network of around forty-five similar sensors worldwide that are continually monitoring changes in neutrons at the Earth's surface to assess the influence of space weather.
The project also includes a smaller monitor soon to be based at Lancaster University.
Principal Investigator Michael Aspinall said: "This project marks a major milestone for the UK in advancing our space weather monitoring capabilities-something crucial for safeguarding modern infrastructure and daily life.
"Bringing this neutron monitor online in collaboration with the Met Office and other international partners adopting our design strengthens global resilience to space weather risks by providing real-time data and new measurement capabilities. With our new design for an instrument that has not fundamentally changed in six decades, we're not just building on the past-we're setting new standards for the future of neutron monitoring.
"The NM-2023 monitor introduces innovations that improve efficiency, sustainability, and affordability, all the while delivering the critical data needed to better understand and mitigate the impacts of space weather."
The monitor will be chiefly looking for spikes in neutrons, called Ground Level Enhancements (GLE), which occur during solar radiation storms that are caused by the acceleration of particles close to the Sun. The new monitoring capability will enable alerts to be issued and validate existing forecasting methods of solar radiation storms, which can disable satellites and cause nationwide power outages on Earth.
Met Office Space Weather Manager Simon Machin said: "The new UK-based neutron monitor will enhance global monitoring of space weather events and will be an important part of our ongoing space weather forecasting and validating service.
"While severe space weather events are rare, this increased capability and resilience will help scientists and industries to manage risks and mitigate impacts where possible."
The most severe solar radiation storms have the potential to impact aviation, satellites, spacecraft and even some ground-based electronics and can arrive to Earth from the Sun in as little as ten minutes. Enhanced ground-based monitoring can help to understand and mitigate impacts.
The project was funded by the UK Science and Technologies Facilities Council under the Space Weather Instrumentation, Measurement, Modelling and Risk (SWIMMR) programme, which aims to improve the UK's capabilities in space weather monitoring and prediction with a series of projects.
Professor Ian McCrea, SWIMMR Senior Programme Manager at STFC RAL Space, said: "This new monitor will be welcomed by experts across the space weather community, including here at RAL Space. The monitor will support the SWIMMR programme's goals to advance the UK's space weather monitoring and prediction capabilities.
"The UK hasn't hosted one of these monitors since the 1980s, and having access to its measurements will provide essential validation for the radiation modelling and airborne sensor capabilities being developed elsewhere in the SWIMMR programme."
The installation aligns with the tenth anniversary of the opening of the Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre (MOSWOC) which has forecasted the arrival of thousands of space weather events, helping key industries to take steps to manage the risks posed by the Sun.
In addition to operational forecasting, MOSWOC plays an active role in the international scientific community for the advancement of space weather sciences, helping to develop capability around the world and advance scientific understanding. A recent Value Report suggested the Met Office's space weather capability is worth £800 million to the UK over the next decade.
