A new neutron monitor DOMC in Central Antarctica at Dome C (Concordia station)

A new cosmic ray detector has been installed in the inner Antarctic Plateau, at Concordia station (coordinates 75°06' S 123°23' E, 3233 meters a.s.l.). The detector consists of two fully independent measuring units: DOMC - a standard mini neutron monitor, and DOMB - a bare (lead-free) neutron monitor. The instruments were built by the North-West University (Potchefstroom, South Africa), are owned and operated by the University of Oulu (Finland), and hosted by the Italian-French Concordia station. The detector is placed in a thermo-stabilized 'Physics' shelter, fully maintained all year-round by the Concordia station personnel. The Concordia station is an optimal location for the detection of solar energetic particles and low energy galactic cosmic rays. The detector's asymptotic acceptance cone is nearly perpendicular to the equatorial plane, pointing to the geographical southern latitudes > 80° for cosmic rays with energies above a few GeV, which is the most Southern polar direction among all the world station. The cosmic ray measurements started in mid-January 2015, and the instruments work properly. The average count rate is about 15 counts/sec and 4 counts/sec for DOMC and DOMB units, respectively. Every single hit is recorded by the data acquisition system with a time stamp allowing for an off-line analysis. The reference atmospheric pressure level is set to 650 mb. The preliminary barometric correction coefficients are -0:70±0:02 and -0:73±0:02 %/mb, for DOMC and DOMB units, respectively, but they will be defined more precisely by the Conference time, when a larger statistical database will be available. We are fully prepared for a solar energetic particle event once it appears. Meanwhile, time variability of cosmic rays is recorded on the routine basis.