Cosmic rays in the heliosphere

The term "heliosphere" appeared in the works on the solar modulation of cos mic rays (Davis, 1955). And this is not by chance. Indeed, it is impossible to dispense with cosmic rays (CR) while discussing the heliosphere. If the heliosphere is defined as the region where the Sun's influence is perceive d, one is forced to accept the fact that the cosmic rays "feel" such influe nce in the most spacious zone exceeding the region occupied by the solar wi nd. Cosmic rays also affect the solar wind region, taking part in the deter mination of its form and the size and structure of a boundary shock wave (J okipii, 1986; Lee, 1996). In the interacting system including the heliosphe re and cosmic rays, both components are active. However, the heliosphere no t only affects but also generates CR. When CR are classified by their origi n, one should term, in addition to the galactic sources, the Sun, interplan etary space, the solar wind boundary, and the magnetospheres of planets. Th us, there are galactic and heliospheric CR. In the low-energy range, the he liospheric CR predominate. For example, the fluxes of nuclei of anomalous C R particles with an energy of about 10 MeV/nucleon may be two orders of mag nitude more intense than the galactic CR fluxes. However, the known galacti c cosmic rays also experience a strong heliospheric influence; i.e., they a re subject to "solar modulation." The heliosphere, while not being a source of galactic cosmic rays, is the source of all their variations.