Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejection (ICME) and Cosmic rays transmission during Forbush decreases

Abstract:

Forbush decrease (FD) is an observed reduction in galactic cosmic ray (GCR) intensity as measured by ground neutron monitors often associated energetic events on the Sun such as coronal mass ejections (CME). FD is associated with increased activity of the sun as reflected in the size of the interplanetary coronal mass ejections passing around the Earth and the corotating regions in the Heliosphere. Since the interplanetary anisotropy evolves itself during a geomagnetic storm in addition to the reconfiguration of external magnetospheric currents, it is expected that changes in transmissivity of cosmic rays of galactic origin will occur during Geomagnetic storms. In this study we examine sixty-three (63) FD events and associated geomagnetic storms over the last three solar cycles from 1970 to 2013. The negative peaks of the FDs and the Dst coincided for most of the events (~70%). There was good correlation (>0.67) between the FDs and Dst. Signatures of influence of external magnetospheric currents on the count rates of the neutron monitors stations during periods of Forbush decreases (FDs) is provided. This evidence is observed as sudden increases in the count rates during the main phase of simultaneous FD. The magnitude of the sudden rise in the count rates of Neutron monitors and peak dst correlated well (>0.50) both for high latitude and mid latitude stations.