• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.281-287
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• 2015

Two mini neutron monitors are installed at Concordia research station (Dome C, Central Antarctica, $75^{\circ}06^{\prime}S$, $123^{\circ}23^{\prime}E$, 3,233 m.a.s.l.). The site has unique properties ideal for cosmic ray measurements, especially for the detection of solar energetic particles: very low cutoff rigidity < 0.01 GV, high elevation and poleward asymptotic acceptance cones pointing to geographical latitudes > $75^{\circ}S$. The instruments consist of a standard neutron monitor and a "bare" (lead-free) neutron monitor. The instrument operation started in mid-January 2015. The barometric correction coefficients were computed for the period from 1 February to 31 July 2015. Several interesting events, including two notable Forbush decreases on 17 March 2015 and 22 June 2015, and a solar particle event of 29 October 2015 were registered. The data sets are available at cosmicrays.oulu.fi and nmdb.eu.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.165-170
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• 2020

Muons and neutrons are representative secondary particles that are generated by interactions between primary cosmic ray particles (mostly protons) and the nuclei of atmospheric gas compounds. Previous studies reported that muons experience seasonal variations because of the meteorological effects of temperature. The intensity of neutrons has a typical modulation with various periods and reasons, such as diurnal and solar variation or transient events. This paper reports that cosmic ray particles, which were observed by neutron monitors, have seasonal variations using the daily data at the Oulu neutron monitor. To eliminate the effects of solar activity across time, the daily data were normalized by two different transformations: transformations with respect to the grand mean and yearly mean. The data after transformation with respect to the yearly mean showed more statistical stability and clear seasonal variations. On the other hand, it is difficult to determine if the seasonal variation results from terrestrial effects, such as meteorological factors, or extraterrestrial effects, such as the position of the Earth in its orbit of revolution.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.175-178
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• 2013

Recently, two instruments of cosmic ray are operating in South Korea. One is Seoul muon detector after October 1999 and the other is Daejeon neutron monitor (Kang et al. 2012) after October 2011. The former consists of four small plastic scintillators and the latter is the standard 18 NM 64 type. In this report, we introduce the characteristics of both instruments. We also analyze the flux variations of cosmic ray such as diurnal variation and Forbush decrease. As the result, the muon flux shows the typical seasonal and diurnal variations. The neutron flux also shows the diurnal variation. The phase which shows the maximum flux in the diurnal variation is around 13-14 local time. We found a Forbush decrease on 7 March 2012 by both instruments. It is also identified by Nagoya multi-direction muon telescope and Oulu neutron monitor. The observation of cosmic ray at Jangbogo station as well as in Korean peninsula can support the important information on space weather in local area. It can also enhance the status of Korea in the international community of cosmic ray experiments.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.219-225
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• 2018

Cosmic rays are ions that move at relativistic speeds. They generate secondary cosmic rays by successive collisions with atmospheric particles, and then, the secondary particles reach the ground. The secondary particles are mainly neutrons and muons, and the neutrons are observed by the ground neutron monitor. This study compared the diurnal variation in cosmic ray intensity obtained via harmonic analysis and that obtained through the pile-up method, which was examined in a previous study. In addition, we analyzed the maximum phase of the diurnal variation using four neutron monitors with a cutoff rigidity below approximately 6 GV, located at similar longitudes to the Oulu and Rome neutron monitors. Expanding the data of solar cycles 20-24, we examined the time of the maximum cosmic ray intensity, that is, the maximum phase regarding the solar cyclic modulation. During solar cycles 20-24, the maximum phase derived by harmonic analysis showed no significant difference with that derived by the pile-up method. Thus, the pile-up method, a relatively straightforward process to analyze diurnal variation, could replace the complex harmonic analysis. In addition, the maximum phase at six neutron monitors shows the 22-year cyclic variation very clearly. The maximum phase tends to appear earlier and increase the width of the variation in solar cycles as the cutoff rigidity increases.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.117-126
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• 2006

The Diurnal variation of galactic cosmic ray (GCR) flux intensity observed by the ground Neutron Monitor (NM) shows a sinusoidal pattern with the amplitude of $1{\sim}2%$ of daily mean. We carried out a statistical study on tendencies of the local times of GCR intensity daily maximum aad minimum. To test the influences of the solar activity and the location (cut-off rigidity) on the distribution in the local times of maximum and minimum GCR intensity, we have examined the data of 1996 (solar minimum) and 2000 (solar maximum) at the low-latitude Haleakala (latitude: 20.72 N, cut-off rigidity: 12.91 GeV) and the high-latitude Oulu (latitude: 65.05 N, cut-off rigidity: 0.81 GeV) NM stations. The most frequent local times of the GCR intensity daily maximum and minimum come later about $2{\sim}3$ hours in the solar activity maximum year 2000 than in the solar activity minimum you 1996. Oulu NM station whose cut-off rigidity is smaller has the most frequent local times of the GCR intensity maximum and minimum later by $2{\sim}3$ hours from those of Haleakala station. This feature is more evident at the solar maximum. The phase of the daily variation in GCR is dependent upon the interplanetary magnetic field varying with the solar activity and the cut-off rigidity varying with the geographic latitude.