Introduction

 The Israel Cosmic Ray Center has indeed been established, with affiliations to Tel Aviv University, to the Technion (Israel Institute of Technology) and to the Israel Space Agency (under the aegis of the Ministry of Science). The staff of the Israel Cosmic Ray Center is as follows:
 
Prof. L.I. DORMAN - principal investigator, head of the Center and Observatory;
Dr. L.A. PUSTIL'NIK - researcher,
Dr. I.G. ZUKERMAN - researcher.
 
The aims of the Project "Israel Cosmic Ray Center" for the first three years, starting in November 1997, are as follows:

• 1. to establish the Israel Cosmic Ray Center, including a Cosmic Ray Observatory,  based on a collaboration with the Italian Cosmic Ray Group, who graciously  put at our disposal the neutron monitor previously utilized at their Antarctic and other expedidions;
  2.  to establish a World Data Center for Cosmic Rays, based on an archive graciously put at our disposal by the Swedish Cosmic Ray Group;
  3.  to enact a research program in Cosmic Ray Astrophysics and in Geophysics;
  4.  in collaboration with other Cosmic Ray Observatories, to develop analytical methods of forecasting anomalous Cosmic Radiation events, representing changes in the Interplanetary and Near-Earth environment. Such events could possibly be harmful to space-probes, to earth orbiting equipment, to air-travel, to electromagnetic communications and perhaps even to living beings on Earth. Phenomena which might indicate such developments include, for example, large solar flares, the impacting of energetic particles and Forbush-decreases connected with large geomagnetic disturbances. The network of observatories providing such early-warning services will form the “International Cosmic Ray Service”.
   

  ORGANIZATION AND EXPERIMENT

  The Israel Cosmic Ray Center has indeed been established, with affiliations to Tel Aviv University, to the Technion (Israel Institute of Technology) and to the Israel Space Agency (under the aegis of the Ministry of Science). The staff of the Israel Cosmic Ray Center is as follows:
  1. Prof. L.I. DORMAN - principal investigator, head of the Center and Observatory;
  2. Dr. L.A. PUSTILNIK - researcher,
  3. Dr. I.G. ZUKERMAN - researcher,
  4. Dr. A.G. ZUSMANOVICH – researcher.
  The following necessary facilities were put at its disposal:

  •   The Mobile Cosmic Ray Neutron Monitor, supplied by the Italian group, as above mentioned, was prepared for reutilization, in collaboration with scientists of the Italian group in Rome, and transferred in June 1998 to the site selected for the Emilio Segre Observatory (33deg18.3minN, 35deg47.2minE, 2020 m above sea level, cut-off rigidity for vertical direction Rc=10.8 GV).
  •  Measurements of general cosmic ray intensity, of air pressure, and of the specific intensities for neutron multiplicities >=1, >=2,>=3, >=4, >=5, >=6, >=7 and >=8 were performed at sea level in the port of Haifa and for the Emilio Segre Observatory site, at the  ski lift’s both lower and upper stations. With these data, the cosmic ray barometric coefficients for Israel were determined, using information on primary cosmic ray variations as set by the Rome and other cosmic ray observatories neutron monitor data.
  •    The (Israel-Italy) Emilio Segre Cosmic Ray Observatory has been operational since June 1998 in a continuous (24 hours per day) mode.
  •    The results of measurements – data taken at one minute intervals -- of cosmic ray neutron intensities at two separate sites,  as well as similar one-minute data about the intensities relating to neutron multiplicities >=1, >=2, >=3, >=4, >=5, >=6, >=7 and >=8 – all of this data has been computer-stored.. Similar one-minute data relating to air pressure, as well as temperature and humidity -- inside the Cosmic Ray Observatory – have also been recorded.
  •    The archive of the World Data Center for Cosmic Rays was transferred from the MIGAL  Research Center in Qiryat Shmona (where it had been stored since its arrival  from Sweden) to the Cosmic Ray Center’s temporary offices at Qatzrin and made available for research utilization.