Testing the effect of solar wind parameters and geomagnetic storm indices on Galactic cosmic ray flux variation with automatically-selected Forbush decreases

Forbush decrease(FD),discovered by Scott E.Forbush about 80 years ago,is referred to as the non-repetitive short-term depression in Galactic cosmic ray(GCR)flux,presumed to be associated with large-scale perturbations in solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field(IMF).It is the most spectacular variability in the GCR intensity which appears to be the compass for investigators seeking solar-terrestrial relationships.The method of selection and validation of FD events is very important to cosmic ray(CR)scientists.We have deployed new computer software to determine the amplitude and timing of FDs from daily-averaged CR data at Oulu Neutron Monitor station.The code selected 230 FDs between 1998 and 2002.In an attempt to validate the new FD automated catalog,the relationship between the amplitude of FDs,and IMF,solar wind speed(SWS)and geomagnetic storm indices(Dst,kp,ap)is tested here.A two-dimensional regression analysis indicates significant linear relationship between large FDs(CR(%)≤-3)and solar wind data and geomagnetic storm indices in the present sample.The implications of the relationship among these parameters are discussed.

Investigation of the relation between space-weather parameters and Forbush decreases automatically selected from Moscow and Apatity cosmic ray stations during solar cycle 23

We present the results of an investigation of the relation between space-weather parameters and cosmic ray(CR)intensity modulation using algorithm-selected Forbush decreases(FDs)from Moscow(MOSC)and Apatity(APTY)neutron monitor(NM)stations during solar cycle 23.Our FD location program detected 408 and 383 FDs from MOSC and APTY NM stations respectively.A coincident computer code employed in this work detected 229 FDs that were observed at the same Universal Time(UT)at the two stations.Out of the 229 simultaneous FDs,we formed a subset of 139 large FDs(%)≤-4 at the MOSC station.We performed a two-dimensional regression analysis between the FD magnitudes and the space-weather data on the two samples.We find that there were significant space-weather disturbances at the time of the CR flux depressions.The correlation between the space-weather parameters and decreases in galactic cosmic ray(GCR)intensity at the two NM stations is statistically significant.The implications of the present space-weather data on CR intensity depressions are highlighted.

Testing the Empirical Relationship between Forbush Decreases and Cosmic Ray Diurnal Anisotropy

The abrupt aperiodic modulation of cosmic ray(CR)flux intensity,often referred to as Forbush decrease(FD),plays a significant role in our understanding of the Sun-Earth electrodynamics.Accurate and precise determinations of FD magnitude and timing are among the intractable problems in FD-based analysis.FD identification is complicated by CR diurnal anisotropy.CR anisotropy can increase or reduce the number and amplitude of FDs.It is therefore important to remove its contributions from CR raw data before FD identification.Recently,an attempt was made,using a combination of the Fourier transform technique and FD-location machine,to address this.Thus,two FD catalogs and amplitude diurnal variation(ADV)were calculated from filtered(FD1 and ADV)and raw(FD2)CR data.In the current work,we test the empirical relationship between FD1,FD2,ADV and solar-geophysical characteristics.Our analysis shows that two types of magnetic fields-interplanetary and geomagnetic(Dst)-govern the evolution of CR flux intensity reductions.