Preliminary search for cosmic radiation and solar-terrestrial parameters correlated with the reversal of the solar magnetic field

A statistical study has been made of cosmic ray intensity, as observed by a neutron monitor, and of selected solar and geophysical parameters in a search for phenomena which may be associated with the reversal of the solar magnetic field. The results reported here utilized the Zurich sunspot number and the geomagnetic aa index. There is an intriguing, but not conclusive, result that shows a vast difference in the correlation of the neutron monitor intensity and the aa index between successive periods bounded by solar maxima. Between the 19th solar cycle maximum (March 1958) and the 20th solar cycle maximum (November 1968), and the 20th solar cycle maximum (November 1968) and the 21st solar cycle maximum (assumed to be December 1979 for this study) the correlations are ?0.86 and +0.28 respectively.