  When traveling in the heliosphere, Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) are subjected
to the solar modulation effect, a quasiperiodical change of their intensity
caused by the 11-year cycle of solar activity. Here we investigate the
association of solar activity and cosmic radiation over five solar cycles, from
1965 to 2020, using a collection of multichannel data from neutron monitors,
space missions, and solar observatories. In particular, we focus on the time
lag between the monthly sunspot number and the GCR flux variations. We show
that the modulation lag is subjected to a 22-year periodical variation, ranging
from about 2 to 14 months and following the polarity cycle of the Sun's
magnetic field. We also show that the lag is remarkably decreasing with
increasing energy of the GCR particles. These results reflect the interplay of
basic physics phenomena that cause the GCR modulation effect: the drift motion
of charged particles in the interplanetary magnetic field, the latitudinal
dependence of the solar wind, the energy dependence of their residence time in
the heliosphere. Based on this interpretation, we end up with a global
effective formula for the modulation lag and testable predictions for the flux
evolution of cosmic particles and antiparticles over the solar cycle.
