Evolution of the cosmic ray spectrum during a Forbush decrease

• Published in: Advances in space research 2024-05, Vol.73 (9), p.4842-4852
• Main Authors: Blanco, Juan José, Ayuso, Sindulfo, Regadío, Alberto, López-Comazzi, Alejandro, García-Tejedor, Juan Ignacio, García-Población, Óscar, Guerrero Contreras, Carlo Luis
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cosmic Rays; Muon telescopes; Neutron monitors; Solar-terrestrial relationship
• ISSN: 0273-1177; 1879-1948
• DOI: 10.1016/j.asr.2024.02.026

•ORCA is an instrument for the observation of cosmic rays in the Antarctic Peninsula.•Capable of detecting neutrons, muons and muon incidence directions.•Changes observed in the cosmic ray spectrum during a ICME passage in Nov. 2021.•Secondary muons show changes in their arrival directions along the ICME passage.•Different behavior, both spectrum and arrival directions, in shock, sheath and MC. The Antarctic Cosmic Ray Observatory (ORCA) has been in continuous operation since January 2020 and in nominal phase since March 2021 at the Spanish Antarctic Base Juan Carlos I (Livingston Island, Antarctica 62°39′46′′S,60°23′20′′W at 12 m above sea level) at an effective vertical cutoff rigidity of R=2.37 GV. ORCA consists of two neutron monitors, ORC-A with three BF3 counter tubes following the NM64 standard, and ORC-B, with three bare BF3 counter tubes; and a muon telescope, ORC-M consisting of two 1 m2 scintillators with the neutron monitors between them. ORCA provides neutron count rates at two different energy thresholds (provided by ORC-A and ORC-B) and muon count rates and muon incidence directions throughout the ORCA volume. The neutron-producing cosmic rays observed in ORC-A have a lower rigidity threshold than the muon-producing ones observed in ORC-M. The relationship between them gives an idea about the change in the slope of the cosmic ray spectrum at the corresponding thresholds, 2.37 GV for ORC-A and ≈12 GV for ORC-M. This relation allows to investigate the change in the cosmic ray spectrum along the different regions in an Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejection, i.e. the shock, the sheath and the magnetic cloud. ORCA first observations are presented, focusing on the analysis of the Forbush Decrease (FD) that happened at the beginning of November 2021. We present these observations and show the promising capabilities of the Antarctic Cosmic Ray Observatory, which represents a new concept of cosmic ray and solar energetic particle detector. The cosmic ray spectrum changes during the Forbush decrease detected in early November 2021 as seen in the change in the ratio of ORC-A to ORC-M count rates. This change is clear after the arrival of the shock and during the magnetic cloud being smoother or even flat in the sheath. In addition, the secondary muons show changes in their arrival directions along the ICME, being clear the different behavior in shock, sheath and magnetic cloud.