Theoretical and Experimental Studies of the Rigidity Spectrum of the 27-Day Variation of the Galactic Cosmic Ray Intensity in Different Epochs of Solar Activity

We consider the recent, very exceptional, 11-year cycle (2003 – 2009) of solar activity and confirm that the relative amplitude in rigidity spectrum, δD(R)/D(R), which can be approximated by a power law in rigidity R, of the first three harmonics of the 27-day variation of the galactic cosmic ray (GCR) intensity is hard in the maximum and soft in the minimum epochs of solar activity, as was found by neutron monitor data for the period of 1965 – 2002. This property is seen not only in separate minimum and maximum epochs but in individual intervals of a solar Carrington rotation as well: There exist many individual intervals of solar rotation when the expected rigidity spectrum of the 27-day variation of the GCR intensity indeed is hard in the maximum epoch of solar activity and is soft in the minimum epoch. We then construct a three-dimensional model of the 27-day variation of the GCR intensity based on Parker’s transport equation, by implementing in situ measurements of the changes in heliographic longitude of the solar wind velocity and interplanetary magnetic field for different epochs of solar activity.