• 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.

• 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.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.149-156
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• 2008

Forbush Decreases (FDs) are representative events of abrupt decrease in galactic cosmic ray intensity. They are known to be strongly associated with solar wind events such as interplanetary shock (IP shock) and magnetic cloud (MC). In order to examine effectiveness of the MC on FDs, I studied the 44 MCs that occurred during the 2 years from 1998 to 1999 and investigated the properties of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and solar wind. As a result, I found that 11 out of 44 MCs are associated with the FDs. In particularly, it is noted that the FDs are driven by the IP shock sheaths which are associated with over 13 nT of IMF magnitude, 3 nT of IMF turbulence, and 550km/s of solar wind speed. This result indicates that magnetic cloud and its interplanetary shock sheath work as a modulator of the cosmic ray intensity.

• 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.

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 2010.04a
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• pp.39.3-39.3
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• 2010

Solar-terrestrial links in short-time scales(daily ~monthly) are extensively explored in recent years: such as a response of low cloud amounts to the Forbush decrease, a response of Northern Atlantic oscillation index to sudden increase in electric field intensity of solar wind and so on (e.g., Svensmark et al., 2009; Boberg & Lundstedt, 2002). In this study, we perform the superposed epoch analysis to see any possible response of the sea-level pressure over Korean peninsula to the fast solar wind stream. Data sets are daily values, and zero days are determined to be days when the solar wind velocity exceeds 800km/s. Average profile of superposed sea-level pressure shows a gradual increase during the first 2 days and a decrease afterward below the normal level with a low pressure condition maintained for a few days. This result indicates that the sea-level pressure may respond to the fast solar wind stream. In other words, the average profile of sea-level pressure mimics the average velocity profiles. The correlation coefficient between two average profiles is 0.80, with 2 day lag.

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.34.1-34.1
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• 2008

Cosmic ray (CR)s are energetic particles that are found in space and filter through our atmosphere. They are classified with galactic cosmic ray (GCR)s and solar cosmic ray (SCR)s from their origins. The process of a CR particle colliding with particles in our atmosphere and disintegrating into smaller pions, muons, neutrons, and the like, is called a cosmic ray shower. These particles can be measured on the Earth's surface by neutron monitor (NM)s. Regarding with the space weather, there are common types of short term variation called a Forbush decrease (FD) and a Ground Level Enhancement (GLE). In this talk, we will briefly introduce our recent studies on CRs observed by NM: (1) simultaneity of FD depending on solar wind interaction, (2) an association between GLE and solar proton events, and (3) diurnal variation of the GCR depending on geomagnetic cutoff rigidity. NM will provide a crucial information for the Korea Space Weather Prediction Center (KSWPC).