Cosmic rays are ions that move at relativistic speeds. They generate secondary cosmic rays by successive collisions with atmospheric particles, and then, the secondary particles reach the ground. The secondary particles are mainly neutrons and muons, and the neutrons are observed by the ground neutron monitor. This study compared the diurnal variation in cosmic ray intensity obtained via harmonic analysis and that obtained through the pile-up method, which was examined in a previous study. In addition, we analyzed the maximum phase of the diurnal variation using four neutron monitors with a cutoff rigidity below approximately 6 GV, located at similar longitudes to the Oulu and Rome neutron monitors. Expanding the data of solar cycles 20–24, we examined the time of the maximum cosmic ray intensity, that is, the maximum phase regarding the solar cyclic modulation. During solar cycles 20–24, the maximum phase derived by harmonic analysis showed no significant difference with that derived by the pile-up method. Thus, the pile-up method, a relatively straightforward process to analyze diurnal variation, could replace the complex harmonic analysis. In addition, the maximum phase at six neutron monitors shows the 22-year cyclic variation very clearly. The maximum phase tends to appear earlier and increase the width of the variation in solar cycles as the cutoff rigidity increases.

In December 2015, we have installed neutron monitors at the Jang Bogo station in Antarctica. The Jang Bogo station is the second science station which is located at the coast (74° 37.4´S, 164° 13.7´E) of Terra Nova Bay in Northern Victoria Land of Antarctica. A neutron monitor is an instrument to detect neutrons from secondary cosmic rays collided by the atmosphere. The installation of neutron monitor at Jang Bogo station is a part of transferred mission for neutron monitor at McMurdo station of USA. Among 18 tubes of 18-NM64 neutron monitor, we have completed relocation of 6 tubes and the rest will be transferred in December 2017. Currently, comparison of data from the neutron monitors of both two stations is under way and there is a good agreement between the data. The neutron monitors at Jang Bogo station will be quite useful to study the space weather when the installation is completed.

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.