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Abstract:
Cosmic radiation near the Earth's surface is influenced by solar activity,
atmospheric conditions, and changes of nearby soil moisture or snow. To better understand how cosmic‐ray
neutron measurements should be corrected for meteorological effects, we operated a detector for low‐energy
neutrons in a buoy on a lake in Germany for 5 months in 2014. Since the water content in the surroundings is
constant, we were able to isolate the signal from almost any ground‐related disturbances. With this instrument,
we challenged traditional and recent theories on the neutron response to water, air humidity, and to reference
data from high‐energy neutron monitors around the world. We found that in some cases, recent theories showed
superior performance over traditional approaches. We also found a stronger response of the neutrons detected by
the buoy to a major solar event than was observed by traditional neutron monitors. The concept of a neutron
detector on a lake could be useful as a reference station for similar land‐side detectors and help provide more
reliable soil moisture products.
