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South Pole Neutron Detectors Given New Role in Predicting Space Weather

sciencehabit writes "A team of researchers has found a way to forecast the intensity of solar storms by monitoring neutron sensors at the South Pole. The approach could help give advanced warning to astronauts and satellites, which would otherwise be irradiated and fried, respectively. Smaller versions of these sensors could one day be standard equipment on interplanetary spacecraft."

17 comments

  1. Neutrino detectors? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Neutrino detectors?

    1. Re:Neutrino detectors? by zero.kalvin · · Score: 1

      I thought the same, they are not talking about ICECUBE.

    2. Re:Neutrino detectors? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nope neutrons. It's explained pretty well in the article.

  2. Editing standards by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    In other news, scientists have developed software which allows detection of incorrect spelling, which involves neither sattelites nor satellites.

    1. Re:Editing standards by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In other news, scientists have developed software which allows detection of incorrect spelling, which involves neither satt elite snore satellites.

      fixed that.

  3. Sometimes a neutron is just a neutron. by FatLittleMonkey · · Score: 4, Informative

    UD Bartol Neutron Monitor program. http://neutronm.bartol.udel.edu/Welcome.html

    Detects high energy neutrons produced by high-speed protons colliding with the Earth's upper atmosphere. TFA is that they have figured out the specific signal for high-energy solar flares.

    (Last 30 days.)

    --
    Science is all about firing a drunk pig out of a cannon just to see what happens.
  4. Re:Dear Timothy... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    The approach could help give advanced warning to astronauts and sattelites, which would otherwise be irradiated and fried, respectively.

    "Sattelites"? "Irradiated and fried, respectively" like meat? Respective of what?
    [snip]

    People get irradiated (ie cells affected by radiation)
    Satellites get fried (ie circuts and/or other electronic components get shorted)

    Both are common use terms (adjectives if you will) for the respective nouns that they are used to describe.

    Respectively, in that sentence refers not to the sense of of the word which pertains to 'honor', but to the sense of the word that defines the order in which the given adjectives apply to the nouns. I.e. the term 'respectively' denotes that Irradiated refers to the Astronauts, whilst Fried refers to the Sattelites.

    Your rant at the editor is as ridiculous as the content of your post...

  5. Useful discovery by PPH · · Score: 1

    After all, solar storms can knock the 'ell out of satellites.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  6. Predicting space weather? by Eyeball97 · · Score: 1, Funny

    Great idea, because they've totally mastered predicting the weather here on earth...

    1. Re:Predicting space weather? by jo_ham · · Score: 4, Funny

      Great idea, because they've totally mastered predicting the weather here on earth...

      Since they haven't mastered it, it's the perfect time to just quit, right?

    2. Re:Predicting space weather? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They would quit, but they can't predict a good time to do so.

  7. Re:Dear Timothy... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Who would've thought Timothy has his fanboys? The fate of /. is more dire than I once thought...

  8. Re:Dear Timothy... by khallow · · Score: 1

    One slashdot editor ought to be good enough for anyone!

  9. "sufficiently accurate proton detector" by awollabe · · Score: 0

    Why is it hard to accurately detect high energy protons? They're charged; they must leave a huge wake of ionized particles behind them. Is it just that they are so energetic the detectors have to be huge? I'm sure the neutron detectors are actually detecting secondary (charged) particles from neutron interactions, meaning the polar detectors are "tertiary" (protons --> neutrons --> more charged particles).

  10. Re:Dear Timothy... by mug+funky · · Score: 1

    fuck off, kdawson.