33RD INTERNATIONAL COSMIC RAY CONFERENCE, RIO DE JANEIRO 2013 THE ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS CONFERENCE The wavy heliospheric current sheet: Insights from a stochastic transport model

Abstract: The waviness of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) is incorporated into a 3D model for the modulation of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) based on stochastic differential equation (SDE). Results from this drift model are shown and discussed, focussing on charge-sign dependent modulation during the previous solar minimum. The effects of different configurations for the heliospheric magnetic field on the modulation of GCRs are also investigated. Taking advantage of the SDE modelling approach, the model provides additional information regarding the modulation process. We subsequently illustrate under which conditions GCRs can efficiently drift along the HCS and how and when diffusion can disrupt this process