Galactic Cosmic Ray modulation based on transport parameters obtained via test particle simulations

Abstract

Our understanding of Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) modulation has advanced greatly in the last years. However, an appropriate knowledge of the components of the diffusion tensor is still lacking. Numerical simulations of test particle trajectories in the layer model of the Heliospheric Magnetic Field allow calculations of local transport coefficients. The layer model makes use of spacecraft data at different heliospheric locations to reproduce transport conditions; there are no special assumptions as to the form of the turbulence. We use these test particle estimated transport coefficients here as parameters for a numerical solution of the GCR transport equation in the case qA > 0. The solutions obtained with this set of parameters reproduce the observed cosmic ray proton spectrum at 1 AU and the radial profiles up to at least 20 AU in the ecliptic plane well. © ESO 2006.