Simple coincidence technique for cosmic-ray intensity exploration via low-energy photon detection

Abstract

© 2019 Elsevier Ltd Changes in cosmic-ray intensity can significantly influence the search for rare events or processes in nuclear and astroparticle physics through corresponding variations in detector background count rate. In this work, we present an approach to explore cosmic-ray intensity and corresponding cascade production of secondary particles in the detector vicinity using low-energy photon background spectra induced by cosmic rays at the earth's surface. The coincidence system based on a plastic scintillator and an extended range HPGe detector, including a multiparameter device, was used for the acquisition of low-energy photon spectra. This system was also simulated by the GEANT4 toolkit, and the simulated and experimental spectra were compared. Single aperiodic events, as well as possible periodic behavior of low-energy photon emission were searched for.