The Effect of the Disturbed Electric Field of the Atmosphere on Cosmic Rays: 1. Soft Component

The results of studying the correlation of the soft component of cosmic rays (10-30 MeV) with the electric field of the atmosphere during thunderstorm periods are presented. The uncovered scintillators of the Baksan air shower array are used as detectors of the soft component, and the data for three seasons (2000--2002) are included into the analysis. It is shown that both linear and quadratic effects of the electric field are present in the soft component intensity. In this case, the linear term is rather stable and independent of the selection criteria, while the quadratic term is subject to significant variations.