Instruments

The project has an extensive instrumentation baseline used for multiobjective measurements of atmospheric phenomena and coincident variables. Stationary detectors and equipment installed at partner institutions will be complemented by devices for in-situ data acquisition on the ground and onboard aircraft.

If you are interested in access to some of the instrument´s data, kindly contact the respective institute representatives.

Stationary instruments

SLAVIA

Two perpendicularly oriented SLAVIA sensors (in the left part of the image, objects with red stripes) developed by the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the CAS have been installed at the Milešovka meteorological observatory. SLAVIA stands for Shielded Loop Antenna with a Versatile Integrated Amplifier – the sensors detect magnetic emissions from lightning.

Measurements of the vertical atmospheric electric field are carried out using a commercial field mill device (Boltek EFM-100 Atmospheric Electric Field Mill) (device on the right in the image).

The data will provide complementary information to the continuous monitoring of thunderstorm activity done at La Grande Montagne, Plateau d’Albion, France in cooperation with IAP CAS and the Laboratoire Souterrain a Bas-Bruit, Rustrel, France.

SEVAN particle detector

The SEVAN (SEVAN – Space Environmental Viewing and Analysis Network) is a unique radiation detection device that will be used for continuous intensity detection of different parts of the secondary cosmic ray spectrum. CRREAT will participate in the SEVAN detector network thanks to a new node, currently being operated at the meteorological observatory at the top of Milešovka mountain, 863 m above sea level. This SEVAN node will be integrated into the global SEVAN network and the data will be available through the common SEVAN network database.

Simultaneous measurements with the SEVAN device, placed on Lomnický štít, Slovakia at a different altitude (2634 m a.s.l.), but similar geomagnetic cutoff rigidity will contribute to better understanding of variations of secondary cosmic rays, as well as to the study of vertical profile in electron-positron and gamma components produced during thunderstorms.

The SEVAN device was developed by the Alikkhanyan National Laboratory in Yerevan, Armenia. The SEVAN device is currently in operation at the Milešovka observatory and the unique control software is produced by Detes s.r.o. Slovakia.

Cloud profiler

A cloud profiler is an instrument which measures vertical composition profile of storm clouds, which enables investigation of cloud structure during lightning initiation and lightning-generated ionizing radiation. The device is installed on the premises of the metrological observazory at Milešovka, operated by the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the CAS.

Lightning current generator

The Laboratory of Environmental Electrotechnics at the Czech Technical University in Prague operates the Generator of Lightning Impulse Currents with two waveform types 10/350 µs (for simulating direct lightning current) and 8/20 µs (for simulating of indirect lightning current). The generator is equipped with a crowbar unit for precise setting of discharge value. Amplitude by the waveform 10/350 µs is up to 200 kA and by the wave, 8/20 µs is up to 250 kA. The device is used to test the resistance of ionizing radiation detectors to the lightning-induced EMI and for direct discharge tests. The laboratory uses this generator for material testing, simulating lightning return stroke channels and other physical simulations related to the lightning phenomenon.

Portable instruments

Stationary dosimetric devices are complemented by mobile dosimetry units on the ground and in the air, onboard UAVs.

Thunderstorm measuring car
For ground-based measurements near thunderstorm clouds, measurement vehicles are utilized. These vehicles are equipped with a set of instruments that enable the detection and measurement of ionizing radiation generated in thunderstorm clouds, along with other phenomena such as electromagnetic emissions from lightning discharges. Specifically, the vehicles are outfitted with GEODOS instruments and Radio Storm Monitoring Stations (RSMS01 and RSMS02) from Universal Scientific Technologies s.r.o., as well as meteorological instruments such as disdrometers and a weather station that measures pressure, temperature, humidity, and wind direction. The measurement vehicles are also equipped with a launch platform for deploying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for atmospheric research.
Unmanned aerial systems (UAS)
The set of ThunderFly TF-G2 unmanned autogyros is designed to deliver the ionizing radiation detectors together with an electric field measuring sensor to the vicinity of thunderstorms. The platform is used for in-situ atmospheric measurement even in harsh weather conditions. Open source software design of the autogyro enables adaptation of the patform for future needs. The autogyro serves as a testbed for future UAV activities of the CRREAT project.
Airborne dosimeters
CRREAT uses multiple types of AIRDOS airborne dosimeter.  AIRDOS are a battery-powered silicon-diode based semiconductor spectrometer developed as open-hardware at the Department of Radiation Dosimetry of the Nuclear Physics Institute of the CAS in cooperation with Universal Scientific Technologies s.r.o. The AIRDOS device has been designed for one-month long continuous measurement in low fluence mixed radiation fields onboard commercial aircraft. The design is based on long time experience with Liulin dosimetry units.