Effects of Forbush Decreases on the Global Electric Circuit

Abstract

The suppression of high-energy cosmic rays, known as Forbush decreases (FDs), represents a promising factor in influencing the global electric circuit (GEC) system. Researchers have delved into these effects by examining variations, often disruptive, of the potential gradient (PG) in ground-based measurements taken in fair weather regions. In this paper, we aim to investigate deviations observed in the diurnal curve of the PG, as compared to the mean values derived from fair weather conditions, during both mild and strong Forbush decreases. Unlike the traditional classification of FDs, which are based on ground level neutron monitor data, we classify FDs using measurements of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) on the International Space Station. To conduct our analysis, we employ the superposed epoch method, focusing on PGs collected between January 2010 and December 2019 at a specific station situated at a low latitude and high altitude: the Complejo Astronómico El Leoncito (CASLEO) in Argentina (31.78°S, 2,550 m above sea level). Our findings reveal that for events associated with FDs having flux amplitude (A) decrease ≤10%, no significant change in the PG is observed. However, for FDs with A > 10%, a clear increase in the PG is seen. For these A > 10% events, we also find a good correlation between the variation of Dst and Kp indices and the variation of PG.