CAPIBARA's Cosmic Ray Mission

Cosmic Ray Detection

Cosmic rays are high-energy particles-mostly protons and alpha particles-that constantly bombard Earth from deep space. Though invisible to the naked eye, they carry vital clues about the most energetic and violent phenomena in the cosmos.

CAPIBARA's Cosmic Ray mission is an instrument integrated into the OBA FARADAY CubeSat by OBA Space. The detector is designed to detect particles from low Earth orbit and is a 100% student-led initiative.

Detectors

The instrument will be capable of detecting protons and alpha particles using 2 detectors:

• Time-of-Flight Detector
• Charge Detector (potentially)

Each detector provides different information about a cosmic ray particle, allowing for more research and characterization of their composition and behavior.

Research Focus

Primary Cosmic Rays (PCRs) generally originate from high-energy events, but particles from solar wind-ejected from the Sun's corona-pose real risks to satellites and human spaceflight.

This project aims to distinguish between PCRs from the Sun and those from beyond the solar system. By comparing radiation levels detected in Earth's day-side and night-side orbits, combining this with latitude data, we intend to characterize solar PCRs, which are expected to show lower energies and velocities. We use particle detection techniques, analyze magnetic fields, and study orbital trajectories to track solar PCRs and differentiate them from non-solar cosmic radiation.

Corresponding authors: Marti Delgado Farriol