A quantitative study of the 6NM-64 neutron monitor by using Geant4: 1. Detection efficiency for different particles

The neutron monitors are the ground based detectors that continuously measure the flow of the cosmic rays that reach the earth′s surface. The measurements of the neutron monitors are of great importance for the scientific community since they contribute to the study of several scientific fields, such as the solar activity and the prediction of the space weather. For this reason, most of the neutron monitors worldwide are organized in a network, in order for their measurements to be easily accessible. The correct evaluation of the measurements and their connection with the physical quantities of the cosmic rays require the knowledge of the interactions and the detection procedure that take place inside the neutron monitor. In this work a quantitative study of the 6NM-64 behavior is presented based on Monte Carlo simulations by using the well known Geant4 simulations toolkit. The study focuses on the detection efficiency of the neutron monitor, both in sections and as a whole for the different particle species, on its dependence on the incident direction of the particles and on the secondary neutrons produced inside the neutron monitor.