POLARQUEST – A Sailing Expedition to Measure Cosmic Rays (And Not Only) Beyond the Arctic Circle

The scientific motivation of the Polarquest expedition performed in 2018 on board of the eco-friendly sailboat Nanuq around the Svalbard Archipelago will be illustrated. Emphasis on the complexity of the expedition, and on its scientific and technological challenges will be given, together with a sense for adventure. The measurements of cosmic muons performed “on board” at unprecedented northern latitudes, where no systematic and accurate sea-level measurements exist, will be reported, together with further measurements performed in 2019 “on the road” with the same detector (previously on board of Nanuq) to allow a wide latitude span investigation. Results from a set of cosmic muon detectors since then permanently installed at the northernmost International Research Station of Ny-Ålesund will also be presented.