Asymmetric cosmic ray modulation of Forbush decreases related to the propagation direction of ICMEs

A Forbush decrease(FD) is a depression of cosmic ray intensity observed by ground-based neutron monitors(NMs). The cosmic ray intensity is thought to be modulated by the heliospheric magnetic structures including the interplanetary coronal mass ejection(ICME) surrounding the Earth. The different magnitude of the decreasing in intensity at each NM was explained only by the geomagnetic cutoff rigidity of NM station. However, sometimes NMs of the almost same rigidity in northern and southern hemispheres observe the asymmetric intensity depression magnitudes of FD events. Thus, in this study we intend to see the effects on cosmic ray intensity depression rate of FD event recorded at different NMs due to different ICME propagation direction as an additional parameter in the model explaining the cosmic ray modulation. Fortunately, since 2006 the coronagraphs of twin spacecraft of the STEREO mission allow us to infer the propagation direction of ICME associated with the FD event in 3-dimension with respect to the Earth. We confirm that the asymmetric cosmic ray decreasing modulations of FD events are determined by the propagation directions of the associated ICMEs.