Modeling ground level enhancements: Event of 20 January 2005

Abstract

The solar cosmic ray event associated with an X7.1 class solar flare on 20 January 2005 was one of the greatest enhancements ever recorded by the ground level worldwide network of neutron monitors. The event occurred during a Forbush decrease, almost at the end of the 23rd cycle of solar activity. In this work a ground level enhancement model for getting the broadest possible picture, as well as for understanding the physics of solar cosmic ray particles under extreme solar conditions, is proposed. Neutron monitors responses from 41 stations widely distributed around the Earth have been modeled to an anisotropic solar proton flux, using an optimization method based on the Levenberg‐Marquardt algorithm. The parameters of the primary solar particles outside the magnetosphere and their dynamics, as well as the characteristics of solar cosmic rays during this event are obtained and discussed.