Space Environmental Viewing and Analysis Network (SEVAN) – characteristics and first operation results

Space Environmental Viewing and Analysis Network is a worldwide network of identical particle detectors located at middle and low latitudes aimed to improve fundamental research of space weather conditions and to provide short- and long-term forecasts of the dangerous consequences of space storms. SEVAN detected changing fluxes of different species of secondary cosmic rays at different altitudes and latitudes, thus turning SEVAN into a powerful integrated device used to explore solar modulation effects. Till to now the SEVAN modules are installed at Aragats Space Environmental Centre in Armenia (3 units at altitudes 800, 2000 and 3200 m a.s.l.), Bulgaria (Moussala), Croatia and India (New-Delhi JNU.) and now under installation in Slovakia, LomnitskySchtit). Recently SEVAN detectors were used for research of new high-energy phenomena originated in terrestrial atmosphere – Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements (TGEs). In 2011 first joint measurements of solar modulation effects were detected by SEVAN network, now under analysis.