Modulation of Galactic Cosmic Rays at Solar Minimum

Author(s):  
B. Heber ◽  
R. A. Burger
2003 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1295-1302 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. V. Belov ◽  
E. A. Eroshenko ◽  
B. Heber ◽  
V. G. Yanke ◽  
A. Raviart ◽  
...  

Abstract. Ulysses, launched in October 1990, began its second out-of-ecliptic orbit in September 1997. In 2000/2001 the spacecraft passed from the south to the north polar regions of the Sun in the inner heliosphere. In contrast to the first rapid pole to pole passage in 1994/1995 close to solar minimum, Ulysses experiences now solar maximum conditions. The Kiel Electron Telescope (KET) measures also protons and alpha-particles in the energy range from 5 MeV/n to >2 GeV/n. To derive radial and latitudinal gradients for >2 GeV/n protons and alpha-particles, data from the Chicago instrument on board IMP-8 and the neutron monitor network have been used to determine the corresponding time profiles at Earth. We obtain a spatial distribution at solar maximum which differs greatly from the solar minimum distribution. A steady-state approximation, which was characterized by a small radial and significant latitudinal gradient at solar minimum, was interchanged with a highly variable one with a large radial and a small – consistent with zero – latitudinal gradient. A significant deviation from a spherically symmetric cosmic ray distribution following the reversal of the solar magnetic field in 2000/2001 has not been observed yet. A small deviation has only been observed at northern polar regions, showing an excess of particles instead of the expected depression. This indicates that the reconfiguration of the heliospheric magnetic field, caused by the reappearance of the northern polar coronal hole, starts dominating the modulation of galactic cosmic rays already at solar maximum.Key words. Interplanetary physics (cosmic rays; energetic particles) – Space plasma physics (charged particle motion and acceleration)


2001 ◽  
Vol 106 (A12) ◽  
pp. 29979-29987 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Davis ◽  
R. A. Mewaldt ◽  
C. M. S. Cohen ◽  
A. C. Cummings ◽  
J. S. George ◽  
...  

2011 ◽  
Vol 176 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 253-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Leske ◽  
A. C. Cummings ◽  
R. A. Mewaldt ◽  
E. C. Stone

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).


2014 ◽  
Vol 119 (3) ◽  
pp. 1493-1506 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.-L. Zhao ◽  
G. Qin ◽  
M. Zhang ◽  
B. Heber

Solar Physics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 296 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Renata Modzelewska ◽  
Agata Krasińska ◽  
Anna Wawrzaszek ◽  
Agnieszka Gil

AbstractWe analyze the scaling properties of the diurnal variation of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) in Solar Cycle 24 and the solar minima between Solar Cycles 23/24 and 24/25 for 2007 – 2019 based on the count rates of the Oulu, Newark, Hermanus, and Potchefstroom neutron monitors. The scaling features of the GCR diurnal variation are studied by evaluating the Hurst exponent, a quantitative parameter used as an indicator of the state of the randomness of a time series. We estimate the Hurst exponents for GCR diurnal-variation parameters amplitude and phase using structure-function and detrended-fluctuation-analysis methods. Results show that the Hurst exponents for the GCR diurnal variation vary in the range from $\approx0.3$ ≈ 0.3 to $\approx0.9$ ≈ 0.9 , with a general tendency of being systematically above 0.5. It suggests that the GCR diurnal variation reveals a more persistent structure than Brownian motion. However, the time series of GCR diurnal-variation amplitude and phase evolve from a more persistent structure in the solar minimum between Solar Cycles 23/24 in 2007 – 2009 to a more random character in and near the solar maximum 2012 – 2014. This observation seems to be in agreement with the general configuration of the heliosphere through the 11-year solar-activity cycle. Moreover, the temporal profile of the Hurst exponent for GCR diurnal amplitude and phase around the beginning of the solar minimum between Solar Cycles 24/25 (2018 – 2019) differs from the solar minimum between Solar Cycles 23/24 in 2007 – 2009, suggesting a dependence on solar-magnetic polarity. These findings could shed more light on GCR particle transport in the turbulent heliosphere over the solar cycle.


2018 ◽  
pp. 33-58
Author(s):  
Геннадий Минасянц ◽  
Gennady Minasyants ◽  
Тамара Минасянц ◽  
Tamara Minasyants ◽  
Владимир Томозов ◽  
...  

We report the results of the investigation into plasma physical characteristics at various solar activity manifestations and in periods of their absence. These results have been obtained from quantitative estimates of the relative abundance of Fe/O ions in different energy ranges. Maximum values of the Fe/O ratio is shown to correspond to particle fluxes from impulsive flares for ions with energies <2 MeV/n (the most significant manifestation of the FIP effect). In particle fluxes from gradual flares, the Fe/O value decreases smoothly with ion energy and is noticeably inferior to values of fluxes in impulsive events. We have established that the properties of flares of solar cosmic rays indicate their belonging to a separate subclass in the total population of gradual events. Relying on variations in the abundance of Fe/O ions, we propose an xplanation of the solar plasma behavior during the development of flares of both classes. Magnetic clouds (a separate type of coronal mass ejections (CME)), which have regions of turbulent compression and are sources of strong geomagnetic storms, exhibit a relative composition of Fe ions comparable to the abundance of Fe in ion fluxes from gradual flares. We have found out that the Fe/O value can be used to detect penetration of energetic flare plasma into the CME body at the initial phase of their joint development and to estimate its relative contribution. During solar minimum with complete absence of sunspots, the Fe/O ratio during periods of “quiet” solar wind show absolutely low values of Fe/O=0.004–0.010 in the energy range from 2–5 to 30 MeV/n. This is associated with the manifestation of the cosmic ray anomalous component, which causes an increase in the intensity of ion fluxes with a high first ionization potential, including oxygen (O), and elements with a low first ionization potential (Fe) demonstrate weakening of the fluxes. As for particles with higher energies (Ek>30 MeV/n), the Fe/O increase is due to the decisive influence of galactic cosmic rays on the composition of impurity elements in the solar wind under solar minimum conditions. The relative content of heavy elements in galactic cosmic rays 30–500 MeV/n is similar to values in fluxes from gradual flares during high solar activity. During solar minimum without sunspots, the behavior of Fe/O for different ion energy ranges in plasma flows from coronal holes (CH) and in the solar wind exhibits only minor deviations. At the same time, plasma flows associated with the disturbed frontal CH region can be sources of moderate geomagnetic storms.


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