2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Experimental Investigation of Environmental Factors Affecting Cosmic Ray Cascades in a University Laboratory Setting

Presented at Engineering Physics and Physics Division (EP2D) Poster Session

The Advanced Physics course at Oral Roberts University is designed to prepare students for careers in engineering and research by integrating hands-on, adaptable laboratory projects relevant to applied physics and engineering disciplines. A central component of this curriculum involves a student-led investigation into cosmic ray cascades, emphasizing the detection and characterization of muons—massive elementary particles analogous to electrons, generated through high-energy interactions between cosmic rays and atmospheric molecules.

This research represents the latest phase of an ongoing experimental series exploring cosmic ray cascade phenomena. Previous phases optimized detection methodologies by calibrating steel plate thickness to enhance cascade visualization and by mapping the angular distribution of muons under varying geometrical configurations. The current phase focuses on quantifying the effects of environmental parameters on cascade formation and muon detection. Students conducted systematic measurements correlating cascade frequency and intensity with atmospheric temperature, pressure, and meteorological conditions using an optimized detector array (11 plates inclined at 70° toward the northern horizon).

Preliminary results suggest that environmental variations play a significant role in muon flux at ground level. Elevated atmospheric temperatures correspond to reduced muon counts due to increased meson decay altitudes, while lower pressure conditions appear to enhance muon transmission to the surface. Additional influences, including humidity, solar activity, geomagnetic effects, and altitude, further modulate detection rates.

These findings advance the pedagogical integration of experimental particle physics into undergraduate education, while contributing meaningful data to the broader study of cosmic ray interactions and environmental modulation of high-energy particle cascades.

Authors

Dr. Elena Gregg Oral Roberts University [biography]

Dr. Elena G. Gregg is a Senior Professor of Physics at Oral Roberts University, where she has taught since 2006. She holds an M.S. in Theoretical and Applied Spectroscopy from St. Petersburg State University and a Ph.D. in Optics from the State Optical Institute, Russia . Her research background includes molecular spectroscopy and light–matter interactions, with current scholarly work focused on experimental physics education and cosmic ray cascade investigations in undergraduate laboratory settings.
Dr. Gregg is an active member of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), and she has contributed extensively to advancing physics pedagogy through curriculum development, laboratory innovation, and student-centered research experiences . She has co-authored multiple conference presentations on cosmic ray cascades and experiential learning, and her work has been recognized with an Honorable Mention Best Paper Award at the ASEE Midwest Section Conference.
In addition to her teaching and research, Dr. Gregg is deeply engaged in service, including curriculum advisory roles for the Oklahoma Office of Educational Quality and Accountability and mentoring undergraduate engineering and pre-med students. Her recent work integrates environmental factors into cosmic ray detection experiments, enhancing hands-on learning in modern physics laboratories.
Pavel Navitski http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9752-9298 Oral Roberts University [biography]

Dr. Pavel Navitski is Associate Professor at Oral Roberts University from 01/2020 after a stint as a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Oklahoma State University, where he was researching drift detecting using sensor systems for field spraying and guest lecturing. He is originally from Belarus, where he was the head of the department of agricultural machines at the Belarusian State Agricultural Academy. The Belarusian State Agricultural Academy is where he earned his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Dr. Navitski’s professional interests are mostly in modern agricultural machinery: setting the main types of agricultural machines for quality work; device features of configuration of new agricultural machinery; perspective cropping systems; precision agriculture; modern machines for chemical plant protection; renewability and bio-energy. He represents Oral Roberts University at ASME and Tulsa Engineering foundation.
Wesley David Klehm Oral Roberts University [biography]

Wesley is from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is 20 years old. Since he was a kid, he was always interested in how things worked and how they were made, with many disassembled toys to prove it. This curiosity inspired Wesley to pursue a degree in engineering to further satiate this desire. In 2021, Wesley Klehm and Jordan Swan founded Esque Box while students at Oral Roberts University to teach a new generation of kids what they wished they knew at the same age.
Gabriel Pendell Oral Roberts University [biography]

Gabriel Pendell is a senior studying mechanical engineering at Oral Roberts University and will graduate with a bachelors of science in engineering in May. Afterward, he will continue to graduate education at the University of Illinois. His research interests include manufacturing processes, thermal-fluid systems, and combustion.
John Richard McLaughlin Oral Roberts University
Eliezer Ramirez Oral Roberts University

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026

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