Recurrence of galactic cosmic-ray intensity and anisotropy in solar minima 23/24 and 24/25 observed by ACE/CRIS, STEREO, SOHO/EPHIN and neutron monitors. Fourier and wavelet analysis

Abstract

Aims: We studied the 27-day variations of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) based on neutron monitor (NM), ACE/CRIS, STEREO, and SOHO/EPHIN measurements in the solar minima 23/24 and 24/25, which are characterized by the opposite polarities of solar magnetic cycle. We used the opportunity to reanalyze the polarity dependence of the amplitudes of the recurrent GCR variations in 2007-2009 for the negative A < 0 solar magnetic polarity and to compared it with the clear periodic variations related to solar rotation in 2017-2019 for positive A > 0.
Methods: We used the Fourier analysis method to study the periodicity in the GCR fluxes. Because the GCR recurrence is a consequence of solar rotation, we analyzed not only GCR fluxes, but also solar and heliospheric parameters to examine the relations of the 27-day GCR variations and heliospheric as well as solar wind parameters.
Results: We find that the polarity dependence of the amplitudes of the 27-day variations of the GCR intensity and anisotropy for NMs data is kept for the last two solar minima: 23/24 (2007-2009) and 24/25 (2017-2019), with greater amplitudes in the positive A > 0 solar magnetic polarity. ACE/CRIS, SOHO/EPHIN, and STEREO measurements are not governed by this principle of greater amplitudes in the positive A > 0 polarity. The GCR recurrence caused by the solar rotation for low-energy (< 1 GeV) cosmic rays is more sensitive to the enhanced diffusion effects, resulting in the same level in 27-day amplitudes for the positive and negative polarities. In contrast, the high-energy (> 1 GeV) cosmic rays that are registered by NMs are more sensitive to the large-scale drift effect, which leads to the 22-year Hale cycle in the 27-day GCR variation, with the larger amplitudes in the A > 0 polarity than in A < 0.

Dedicated to the memory of Michael Alania.