Zahlavi

Instruments

The project has extensive instrumentation baseline planned to be 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 instruments, 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 horizontal components of the magnetic field fluctuations in a frequency interval from 5 kHz to 90 MHz.

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 continuous monitoring of thunderstorm activity done at La Grande Montagne, Plateau d’Albion, France in a cooperation of 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 which will be used for continuous intensity detection of different parts of secondary cosmic ray spectrum. CRREAT will participate in the SEVAN detector network thanks to a new node, currently being put in operation at the meteorological observatory at the top of Milešovka mountain, 863 m above the 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 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 currently being put into operation at the Milešovka observatory and the unique control software are produced by Detes s.r.o. Slovakia.

GNSS receivers

The fulfillment of the scientific goal, which is the investigation of the impact of ionizing radiation phenomena in the atmosphere on the sensitivity and availability of GNSS systems, requires two accurate GNSS receivers. The first receiver will be placed at Milešovka with other radiation detectors. The second will be placed at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Czech Technical University in Prague for development and testing purposes.

Lightning current generator

The Laboratory of Environmental Electrotechnics at the Czech Technical University in Prague operates the Generator of Lightning Impulse Currents with two waveforms types 10/350 µs (for simulating of direct lightning current) and 8/20 µs (for simulating of indirect lightning current). The generator is equipped with the 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 the detectors of ionizing radiation to the lightning-induced EMI and also for direct discharge tests. The laboratory uses this generator for material testing, simulating of lightning return stroke channel and other physical simulations related to the lightning phenomenon.

Cloud profiler

Cloud profiler, which measures vertical composition profile of storm cloud, will enable to fulfill the goal of investigation of lightning initiation and lightning-initiated electromagnetic signals. The device will be installed on premises of the meteorological observatory at Milešovka, operated by the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the CAS.

SDR Radio Spectrometers


Portable instruments

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

Velos UAV helicopter

The Velos UAV helicopter is being prepared for operational use. Component redundancy and sturdy construction shall enable this UAV to deliver 1 kg payload up to 4 km above ground level even in harsh weather conditions.

Open source software design of the helicopter will enable adaptation of the platform for future needs.

The helicopter serves as a testbed for future UAV activities of the CRREAT project.

AIRDOS mobile dosimeters

AIRDOS is a battery-powered silicon-diode based spectrometer developed as open-hardware at the Department of Radiation Dosimetry of the Nuclear Physics Institute of the CAS. It has been designed for one-month long continuous measurement in low fluence mixed-fields onboard commercial aircraft, a device comparable to the Liulin dosimetry units.

Modular design based on the MLAB modular laboratory hardware components enables rapid and cost-effective development. The development is carried out in open source fashion and the documentation is freely available in respective Github repository.