Modulation of Cosmic Ray Intensity Underground Associated with the Planet Jupiter

Underground meson data are analyzed in Jovian time for any evidence of an effect at the higher energies over a complete orbital period. A minimum in meson intensity occurs daily when Jupiter transits the meridian. Two interpretations of this finding are given: (1) Jupiter causes the depression when it crosses the viewing cone of an underground detector; (2) a 12-year sinusoidal variation in amplitude of the sidereal diurnal intensity cycle produces a sideband component in Jovian time and a matching component in anti-Jovian time. Two features favor the first interpretation: (1) variation in annual mean right ascension and declination of Jupiter over the orbital period 1958-69 could result in amplitude modulation of the sidereal diurnal variation; (2) reexamination of the observed daily variation in intensity while disregarding harmonic analysis (upon which the second interpretation is based) shows a similarity between the sidereal daily variations as averaged over 1959-61 and 1965-67 except for a superimposed depression of intensity during 1959-61 centered on 1800 LST.