• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.80.2-80.2
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• 2011

The sudden decrease of galactic cosmic ray (GCR) intensity observed by ground neutron monitor (NM) is called a Forbush decrease (FD) event. The intensity time profile of FD event looks like the geomagnetic storm visualized by geomagnetic storm index Dst. Oh et al. [2008] and Oh and Yi [2009] classified the FD events into two kinds by criteria of the overlapping simultaneity of main phase in universal time (UT). The FD event is defined simultaneous if the main phase parts observed by the stations distributed evenly around the Earth are overlapped in UT and non-simultaneous if ones are overlapped in each station's local time (LT). They suggested the occurrence mechanisms of two kind FD events related to the interplanetary magnetic structures such as the interplanetary shock (IP shock) and magnetic cloud. According to their model, the simultaneity of FD depends on the strength and propagation direction of interactive magnetic structures overtaking the Earth. Now the STEREO mission can visualize the emergence and propagation direction of the coronal mass ejection (CME) in 3-dimension in the heliosphere. Thus, it is possible to test the suggested mechanisms causing two different types of FD events. One simultaneous FD observed on February 17, 2011 may be caused by a CME heading directly toward the Earth observed on February 15, 2011 by the STEREO mission. The simultaneity of FD event is proved to be a useful analysis tool in figuring out the geo-effectiveness of solar events such as interplanetary CMEs and IP shocks.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.33-38
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• 2015

Forbush Decreases (FD) are transient, sudden reductions of cosmic ray (CR) intensity lasting a few days, to a week. Such events are observed globally using ground neutron monitors (NMs). Most studies of FD events indicate that an FD event is observed simultaneously at NM stations located all over the Earth. However, using statistical analysis, previous researchers verified that while FD events could occur simultaneously, in some cases, FD events could occur non-simultaneously. Previous studies confirmed the statistical reality of non-simultaneous FD events and the mechanism by which they occur, using data from high-latitude and middle-latitude NM stations. In this study, we used long-term data (1971-2006) from middle-latitude NM stations (Irkutsk, Climax, and Jungfraujoch) to enhance statistical reliability. According to the results from this analysis, the variation of cosmic ray intensity during the main phase, is larger (statistically significant) for simultaneous FD events, than for non-simultaneous ones. Moreover, the distribution of main-phase-onset time shows differences that are statistically significant. While the onset times for the simultaneous FDs are distributed evenly over 24-hour intervals (day and night), those of non-simultaneous FDs are mostly distributed over 12-hour intervals, in daytime. Thus, the existence of the two kinds of FD events, according to differences in their statistical properties, were verified based on data from middle-latitude NM stations.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.96.1-96.1
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• 2013

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.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.117-124
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• 2023

A Forbush decrease (FD) is a depression of cosmic ray (CR) intensity observed by ground-based neutron monitors (NMs). The CR 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 the NM station. However, sometimes NMs of almost the same cutoff 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 CR intensity modulation of FD event recorded at different NMs due to different ICME propagation directions as an additional parameter in the model explaining the CR 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 suggest the hypothesis that the asymmetric CR modulations of FD events are determined by the propagation directions of the associated ICMEs.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.120.1-120.1
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• 2012

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) launched on June 16, 2009 has six experiments including of the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER) onboard. The CRaTER instrument characterizes the radiation environment to be experienced by humans during future lunar missions. The CRaTER instrument measures the effects of ionizing energy loss in matter specifically in silicon solid-state detectors due to penetrating solar energetic protons (SEP) and galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) after interactions with tissue-equivalent plastic (TEP), a synthetic analog of human tissue. The CRaTER instrument houses a compact and highly precise microdosimeter. It measures dose rates below one micro-Rad/sec in silicon in lunar radiation environment. Forbush decrease (FD) event is the sudden decrease of GCR flux. We use the data of cosmic ray and dose rates observed by the CRaTER instrument. We also use the CME list of STEREO SECCHI inner, outer coronagraph and the interplanetary CME data of the ACE/MAG instrument.We examine the origins and the characteristics of the FD-like events in lunar radiation environment. We also compare these events with the FD events on the Earth. We find that whenever the FD events are recorded at ground Neutron Monitor stations, the FD-like events also occur on the lunar environments. The flux variation amplitude of FD-like events on the Moon is approximately two times larger than that of FD events on the Earth. We compare time profiles of GCR flux with of the dose rate of FD-like events in the lunar environment. We figure out that the distinct FD-like events correspond to dose rate events in the CRaTER on lunar environment during the event period.