The long-term variation of the cosmic radiation

1968 ◽  
Vol 46 (10) ◽  
pp. S903-S906 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Lockwood ◽  
W. R. Webber

The variation in the cosmic-ray intensity recorded by neutron monitors from 1958 to 1965 has been investigated to deduce the form of the solar modulation of the cosmic radiation. The observed changes in the intensity at the neutron monitor stations, averaged over quarter-year periods, were compared with changes calculated using modulation functions depending upon energy, rigidity, and velocity × rigidity. These calculations were based upon the revised differential response functions deduced by Lockwood and Webber (1967). The variance between the observed and calculated changes in the neutron monitor intensities at different stations was minimized to determine the best form of the solar modulation function. We find that the change of the primary cosmic radiation, deduced from the change in the neutron monitor intensity as well as from direct measurements of the primary flux, can be described by a modulation of the form exp(–K/P) in the rigidity range 0.5 < P < 50 GV. The change between 1959 and 1965 can be fitted with K = 1.94 ± 0.09 and between 1963 and 1965 with K = 0.36 ± 0.05.

1958 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 377-385
Author(s):  
V. Sarabhai ◽  
N. W. Nerurkar ◽  
S. P. Duggal ◽  
T. S. G. Sastry

Study of the anisotropy of cosmic rays from the measurement of the daily variation of meson intensity has demonstrated that there are significant day-today changes in the anisotropy of the radiation. New experimental data pertaining to these changes and their solar and terrestrial relationships are discussed.An interpretation of these changes of anisotropy in terms of the modulation of cosmic rays by streams of matter emitted by the sun is given. In particular, an explanation for the existence of the recently discovered types of daily variations exhibiting day and night maxima respectively, can be found by an extension of some ideas of Alfvén, Nagashima, and Davies. An integrated attempt is made to interpret the known features of the variation of cosmic ray intensity in conformity with ideas developed above.


1968 ◽  
Vol 46 (10) ◽  
pp. S887-S891 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. K. Balasubrahmanyan ◽  
D. E. Hagge ◽  
F. B. McDonald

The results of the continuous monitoring of the intensity of cosmic rays (of energy > 50 MeV) with identical G-M counter telescopes flown in satellites IMP I, II, and III and OGO-I are presented along with the differential spectrum studies obtained from balloon flights at Fort Churchill and from satellites. A comparison of the time behavior of the G-M counter data with Deep River neutron monitor data suggests the presence of a "hysteresis" type of behavior due to spectral changes occurring near solar minimum. The existence of this "hysteresis" suggests that the radial gradient of cosmic rays near the earth could be much smaller than the ~ 10%/AU obtained by O'Gallagher and Simpson (1967) and O'Gallagher (1967) at higher energies. The long-term intensity variation of cosmic rays seems to follow the Ap index rather closely in phase, in contrast to sunspot numbers which display a pronounced phase difference with cosmic-ray intensity. The differential spectra of protons and He nuclei have been analyzed in terms of two different models for the propagation in the interplanetary medium. The modulations indicated by the present data seem to disagree with a diffusion coefficient proportional to βR where β and R are the velocity and rigidity of the particle respectively (Jokipii 1966).


1968 ◽  
Vol 46 (10) ◽  
pp. S923-S926
Author(s):  
K. Kasturirangan ◽  
N. W. Nerurkar

The comparison of the cosmic-ray intensity measured with balloon-borne ion chambers at different atmospheric depths at stations in North America and in the U.S.S.R. for the period 1937–67 is presented. It is found that there is no difference in variations of cosmic-ray spectra in periods of increasing and decreasing solar activity in 1954–64. In 1937–40 the cosmic-ray spectra are found to be distinctly different, suggesting a slow change in the spectrum over periods greater than the 11-year cycle of solar activity.


Author(s):  
Alejandro López-Comazzi ◽  
Juan José Blanco

The main objective is to check whether the periodicities observed in the cosmic rays in the interval 2013-2018 are affected by the magnetic rigidity or the height at which the neutron monitors are placed. A Global Neutron Monitor (GNM) has been defined as representative of the neutron monitor global network. The Morlet wave - let analysis is applied to the GNM and the selected solar activity parameters to find out common periodicities. Short-term periodicities of 13.5, 27, 48, 92, 132 and 298 days have been observed in cosmic ray intensity. A clear inverse relationship between rigidity and spectral power has been obtained for the 13.5, 48, 92, 132-day periods. A not so clear but still observed direct relationship between the height of the neutron monitors and the spectral power for the 48, 92, 132-day periods has been also found. The periodicity of 92 days is the one which shows the highest dependence with rigidity cutoff and height. As far as we know, this is the first time that these dependencies are reported. We think that these observations could be explained by assuming some cosmic ray intensity energy dependence in such periodicities and a competitive effect between rigidity and height.


2019 ◽  
Vol 209 ◽  
pp. 01004
Author(s):  
N. Marcelli ◽  
O. Adriani ◽  
G. C. Barbarino ◽  
G. A. Bazilevskaya ◽  
R. Bellotti ◽  
...  

Precision measurements of the Z = 2 component in cosmic radiation provide crucial information about the origin and propagation of the second most abundant cosmic ray species in the Galaxy (9% of the total). These measurements, acquired with the PAMELA space experiment orbiting Earth, allow to study solar modulation in details. Helium modulation is compared to the modulation of protons to study possible dependencies on charge and mass. The time dependence of helium fluxes on a monthly basis measured by PAMELA has been studied for the period between July 2006 to January 2016 in the energy range from 800 MeV/n to ~ 20 GeV/n.


Changes of the energy spectrum of primary cosmic radiation can be followed through the time variations of east-west asymmetry of the μ -meson component at low latitudes. Such a study has been conducted for the first time at Ahmedabad during 1957-8. The changes of east-west asymmetry are associated with changes of the daily variation of cosmic ray in­tensity, of the daily mean neutron intensity measured at equatorial and middle latitude stations, of the index of geomagnetic disturbance and of the horizontal component of the earth’s magnetic field. The study indicates that days with high east-west asymmetry are associated with geomagnetically quiet days and a cosmic ray daily variation consistent with its being produced by an anisotropy of primary radiation outside the influence of the geomagnetic field. On such days, the daily variation produced by the anisotropy, as observed at an equatorial station, has a significant diurnal as well as a semi-diurnal component. High east-west asymmetry and associated anisotropy occur 3 to 5 days before the arrival of solar corpuscular beams which envelop the earth. Days with low east-west asymmetry occur about 3 to 4 days after the onset of cosmic ray storms associated with geomagnetic storms, usually of the SC type.


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