FAQs

What is this software for?
This software is intended to facilitate the study of Ground Level Events (GLEs) observed by the worldwide network of Neutron Monitor (NM) stations, i.e. to understand their solar sources and the conditions under which relativistic solar energetic particles propagate in interplanetary space, from the source to the Earth.

What does this software do?
It fits NM observations making use of several models, including: i) the propagation of relativistic solar energetic particles from the Sun to the Earth, ii) their transport in the geomagnetic field, iii) the cascade producing secondary particles in the Earth's atmosphere, and iv) the detection of the secondary nucleons by NMs.

What do I need to run this software?
You need the installation of the programming language Python on your computer. Python is developed under an open source license, making it freely usable and available for installation. In addition, you need to download NM data from the Neutron Monitor Database (NMDB), OMNI magnetic field data from the OMNI database, the asymptotic directions of NM stations for a given historic GLE and the database of results of an interplanetary transport model. Please check the Download section.

Where can I get this software?
You can get the software from the HESPERIA website.

What do I get with the package?
You get a set of Python routines for reading observational data and simulations results, solve the inversion problem, and plot the results.

Are there examples available to show how to use this software?
Yes! An input file template and directions on how to run SEPinversion are distributed with the package.

I found a bug. What should I do?
Please send us an e-mail with a minimal sequence of commands that reproduces the error, and we will try to fix it.

Are you open to suggestions about how one might increase the functionality of this software?
Yes, please feel free to e-mail us with your suggestions and source code.