1
|
Walsh L, Hafner L, Berger T, Matthiä D, Schneider U, Straube U. European astronaut radiation related cancer risk assessment using dosimetric calculations of organ dose equivalents. Z Med Phys 2024; 34:92-99. [PMID: 37932191 PMCID: PMC10919965 DOI: 10.1016/j.zemedi.2023.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
An illustrative sample mission of a Mars swing-by mission lasting one calendar year was chosen to highlight the application of European risk assessment software to cancer (all solid cancer plus leukaemia) risks from radiation exposures in space quantified with organ dose equivalent rates from model calculations based on the quantity Radiation Attributed Decrease of Survival (RADS). The relevant dose equivalent to the colon for radiation exposures from this Mars swing-by mission were found to vary between 198 and 482 mSv. These doses depend on sex and the two other factors investigated here of: solar activity phase (maximum or minimum); and the choice of space radiation quality factor used in the calculations of dose equivalent. Such doses received at typical astronaut ages around 40 years old will result in: the probability of surviving until retirement age (65 years) being reduced by a range from 0.38% (95%CI: 0.29; 0.49) to 1.29% (95%CI: 1.06; 1.56); and the probability of surviving cancer free until retirement age being reduced by a range from 0.78% (95%CI: 0.59; 0.99) to 2.63% (95%CI: 2.16; 3.18). As expected from the features of the models applied to quantify the general dosimetric and radiation epidemiology parameters, the cancer incidence risks in terms of surviving cancer free, are higher than the cancer mortality risks in terms of surviving, the risks for females are higher than for males, and the risks at solar minimum are higher than at solar maximum.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linda Walsh
- Department of Physics, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Luana Hafner
- Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate ENSI, Industriestrasse 19, 5201 Brugg, Switzerland.
| | - Thomas Berger
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Linder Höhe, 51147 Köln, Germany.
| | - Daniel Matthiä
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Linder Höhe, 51147 Köln, Germany.
| | - Uwe Schneider
- Department of Physics, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Ulrich Straube
- European Space Agency ESA, European Astronaut Centre EAC, Space Medicine HRE-OM, Cologne, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Di Fino L, Romoli G, Santi Amantini G, Boretti V, Lunati L, Berucci C, Messi R, Rizzo A, Albicocco P, De Donato C, Masciantonio G, Morone MC, Nobili G, Baiocco G, Mentana A, Pullia M, Tommasino F, Carrubba E, Bardi A, Passerai M, Castagnolo D, Mascetti G, Crisconio M, Matthiä D, Narici L. Radiation measurements in the International Space Station, Columbus module, in 2020-2022 with the LIDAL detector. Life Sci Space Res (Amst) 2023; 39:26-42. [PMID: 37945086 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2023.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
The Light Ion Detector for ALTEA (LIDAL) is a new instrument designed to measure flux, energy spectra and Time of Flight of ions in a space habitat. It was installed in the International Space Station (Columbus) on January 19, 2020 and it is still operating. This paper presents the results of LIDAL measurements in the first 17 months of operation (01/2020-05/2022). Particle flux, dose rate, Time of Flight and spectra are presented and studied in the three ISS orthogonal directions and in the different geomagnetic regions (high latitude, low latitude, and South Atlantic Anomaly, SAA). The results are consistent with previous measurements. Dose rates range between 1.8 nGy/s and 2.4 nGy/s, flux between 0.21 particles/(sr cm2 s) and 0.32 particles/(sr cm2 s) as measured across time and directions during the full orbit. These data offer insights concerning the radiation measurements in the ISS and demonstrate the capabilities of LIDAL as a unique tool for the measurement of space radiation in space habitats, also providing novel information relevant to assess radiation risks for astronauts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- L Di Fino
- ASI - Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, Rome, Italy.
| | - G Romoli
- Physics Department, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; INFN - Roma Tor Vergata, Rome Italy
| | | | - V Boretti
- Physics Department, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - L Lunati
- Physics Department, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - C Berucci
- Physics Department, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; INFN - Roma Tor Vergata, Rome Italy
| | - R Messi
- Physics Department, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; INFN - Roma Tor Vergata, Rome Italy
| | - A Rizzo
- ENEA, Radioprotection Institute (IRP), via Anguillarese 301, 00123, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | - M C Morone
- Physics Department, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; INFN - Roma Tor Vergata, Rome Italy
| | - G Nobili
- INFN - Roma Tor Vergata, Rome Italy
| | - G Baiocco
- Physics Department, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - A Mentana
- Physics Department, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - M Pullia
- CNAO, Str. Campeggi, 53, Pavia, Italy
| | - F Tommasino
- University of Trento, Department of Physics, Povo TN, Italy
| | - E Carrubba
- Kayser Italia, Via di Popogna, 501, 57128 Livorno, Italy
| | - A Bardi
- Kayser Italia, Via di Popogna, 501, 57128 Livorno, Italy
| | - M Passerai
- Kayser Italia, Via di Popogna, 501, 57128 Livorno, Italy
| | - D Castagnolo
- Telespazio, Via Louis Bleriot, 82 - c/o Centro R. Bonifacio, 80144 Napoli, Italy
| | - G Mascetti
- ASI - Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, Rome, Italy
| | - M Crisconio
- ASI - Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, Rome, Italy
| | - D Matthiä
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, 51147 Cologne, Germany
| | - L Narici
- ASI - Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, Rome, Italy; Physics Department, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; INFN - Roma Tor Vergata, Rome Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Matthiä D, Burmeister S, Przybyla B, Berger T. Active radiation measurements over one solar cycle with two DOSTEL instruments in the Columbus laboratory of the International Space Station. Life Sci Space Res (Amst) 2023; 39:14-25. [PMID: 37945085 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2023.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Two DOSimetry TELescopes (DOSTELs) have been measuring the radiation environment in the Columbus module of the International Space Station (ISS) since 2009 in the frame of the DOSIS and DOSIS 3D projects. Both instruments have measured the charged particle flux rate and dose rates in a telescope geometry of two planar silicon detectors. The radiation environment in the ISS orbit is mostly composed by galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) and its secondary radiation and protons from the inner radiation belt in the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) with sporadic contributions of solar energetic particles at high latitudes. The data presented in this work cover two solar activity minima and corresponding GCR intensity maxima in 2009 and 2020 and the solar activity maximum and corresponding GCR intensity minimum in 2014/2015. Average dose rates measured in the Columbus laboratory in the ISS orbit from GCR and SAA are presented separately. The data is analyzed with respect to the effective magnetic shielding and grouped into different cut-off rigidity intervals. Using only measurements in magnetically unshielded regions at low cut-off rigidity and applying a factor for the geometrical shielding of the Earth, absorbed dose rates and dose equivalent rates in near-Earth interplanetary space are estimated for the years 2009 to 2022.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Matthiä
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Cologne, Germany.
| | | | - Bartos Przybyla
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas Berger
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Cologne, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Gilvin P, Caresana M, Bottollier-Depois JF, Chumak V, Clairand I, Eakins J, Ferrari P, Hupe O, Olko P, Röttger A, Tanner R, Vanhavere F, Bakhanova E, Bandalo V, Ekendahl D, Hödlmoser H, Matthiä D, Reitz G, Latocha M, Beck P, Thomas D, Behrens R. EURADOS project on the impact of the proposed ICRU operational dose quantities. Radiat Prot Dosimetry 2023; 199:1689-1695. [PMID: 37819353 DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncac293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Following the publication of the joint The International Commissions on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) and on Radiological Protection (ICRP) report on new operational quantities for radiation protection, the European Dosimetry Group (EURADOS) have carried out an initial evaluation. The EURADOS report analyses the impact that the new quantities will have on: radiation protection practice; calibration and reference fields; European and national regulation; international standards and, especially, dosemeter and instrument design. The task group included experienced scientists drawn from across the various EURADOS working groups.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Phil Gilvin
- UK Health Security Agency, Chilton, Didcot, OXON OX11 0RQ, UK
| | - Marco Caresana
- Politecnico di Milano, Department of Energy, Via la Masa 34, Milano 20156, Italy
| | | | - Vadim Chumak
- Dosimetrica LLC, Division of Prospective Dosimetric Studies, PO Box 40, Kyiv 4119, Ukraine
| | - Isabelle Clairand
- Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety, PSE-SANTE BP 17, Fontenay-aux-Roses 92262, France
| | - Jonathan Eakins
- UK Health Security Agency, Chilton, Didcot, OXON OX11 0RQ, UK
| | - Paolo Ferrari
- ENEA IRP - Radiation Protection Institute, 4 Via Martiri di Monte Sole, Bologna 40129, Italy
| | - Oliver Hupe
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Bundesallee 100, Braunschweig 38116, Germany
| | - Pawel Olko
- Institute of Nuclear Physics PAN, Division of Applied Physics, Radzikowskiego 152, Kraków 31-342, Poland
| | - A Röttger
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Bundesallee 100, Braunschweig 38116, Germany
| | - Rick Tanner
- UK Health Security Agency, Chilton, Didcot, OXON OX11 0RQ, UK
| | - Filip Vanhavere
- Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, Environment, Health and Safety, Boeretang 200, Mol 2400, Belgium
| | - Elena Bakhanova
- Dosimetrica LLC, Division of Prospective Dosimetric Studies, PO Box 40, Kyiv 4119, Ukraine
| | - Vedran Bandalo
- Mirion Technologies (AWST) GmbH, Otto-Hahn-Ring 6, Munich 81739, Germany
| | - Daniela Ekendahl
- National Radiation Protection Institute, Bartoškova 28, Prague 14000, Czech Republic
| | - Herbert Hödlmoser
- Mirion Technologies (AWST) GmbH, Otto-Hahn-Ring 6, Munich 81739, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Peter Beck
- Seibersdorf Labor GmbH, Seibersdorf 2444, Austria
| | - David Thomas
- National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 0LW, UK
| | - Rolf Behrens
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Bundesallee 100, Braunschweig 38116, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Meier MM, Berger T, Jahn T, Matthiä D, Plettenberg MC, Scheibinger M, Schennetten K, Wirtz M. Impact of the South Atlantic Anomaly on radiation exposure at flight altitudes during solar minimum. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9348. [PMID: 37291163 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36190-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) is a geographical region over the South Atlantic Ocean where the inner Van Allen radiation belt extends down particularly close to Earth. This leads to highly increased levels of ionizing radiation and related impacts on spacecraft in Low Earth Orbits, e.g., correspondingly increased radiation exposure of astronauts and electronic components on the International Space Station. According to an urban legend, the SAA is also supposed to affect the radiation field in the atmosphere even down to the altitudes of civil aviation. In order to identify and quantify any additional contributions to the omnipresent radiation exposure due to the Galactic Cosmic Radiation at flight altitudes, comprehensive measurements were performed crossing the geographical region of the SAA at an altitude of 13 km in a unique flight mission-Atlantic Kiss. No indication of increased radiation exposure was found.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthias M Meier
- German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology, Cologne, Germany.
| | - Thomas Berger
- German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas Jahn
- Lufthansa German Airlines, Lufthansa Basis, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Daniel Matthiä
- German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology, Cologne, Germany
| | - Mona C Plettenberg
- German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Kai Schennetten
- German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology, Cologne, Germany
| | - Michael Wirtz
- German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology, Cologne, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Matthiä D, Meier MM, Schennetten K. New operational dose quantity ambient dose H* in the context of galactic cosmic radiation in aviation. J Radiol Prot 2022; 42:021520. [PMID: 35263735 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6498/ac5be0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements recently proposed new operational quantities for external radiation exposure. Among those, the ambient dose is intended to replace the ambient dose equivalent as estimator for the effective dose. Following its definition, the measurement of the ambient dose requires a much more detailed knowledge about the radiation field than the ambient dose equivalent. The implications for radiation protection in aviation concerning galactic cosmic radiation that would follow the adoption of the ambient dose as operational quantity at flight altitudes were investigated in this work using model calculations. It was found that the ambient dose is about 10% higher than the ambient dose equivalent for conditions relevant in commercial aviation and overestimates the effective dose by about 30%.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Matthiä
- German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Linder Höhe, 51147 Cologne, Germany
| | - Matthias M Meier
- German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Linder Höhe, 51147 Cologne, Germany
| | - Kai Schennetten
- German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Linder Höhe, 51147 Cologne, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Zhang S, Wimmer-Schweingruber RF, Yu J, Wang C, Fu Q, Zou Y, Sun Y, Wang C, Hou D, Böttcher SI, Burmeister S, Seimetz L, Schuster B, Knierim V, Shen G, Yuan B, Lohf H, Guo J, Xu Z, Freiherr von Forstner JL, Kulkarni SR, Xu H, Xue C, Li J, Zhang Z, Zhang H, Berger T, Matthiä D, Hellweg CE, Hou X, Cao J, Chang Z, Zhang B, Chen Y, Geng H, Quan Z. First measurements of the radiation dose on the lunar surface. Sci Adv 2020; 6:eaaz1334. [PMID: 32978156 PMCID: PMC7518862 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaz1334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Human exploration of the Moon is associated with substantial risks to astronauts from space radiation. On the surface of the Moon, this consists of the chronic exposure to galactic cosmic rays and sporadic solar particle events. The interaction of this radiation field with the lunar soil leads to a third component that consists of neutral particles, i.e., neutrons and gamma radiation. The Lunar Lander Neutrons and Dosimetry experiment aboard China's Chang'E 4 lander has made the first ever measurements of the radiation exposure to both charged and neutral particles on the lunar surface. We measured an average total absorbed dose rate in silicon of 13.2 ± 1 μGy/hour and a neutral particle dose rate of 3.1 ± 0.5 μGy/hour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shenyi Zhang
- National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Space Environment Exploration, Beijing, PR China
- University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Space Situation Awareness Technology, Beijing, PR China
| | - Robert F Wimmer-Schweingruber
- National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
- Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Jia Yu
- Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Chi Wang
- National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Qiang Fu
- National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Yongliao Zou
- National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Yueqiang Sun
- National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Space Environment Exploration, Beijing, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Space Situation Awareness Technology, Beijing, PR China
| | - Chunqin Wang
- National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Space Environment Exploration, Beijing, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Space Situation Awareness Technology, Beijing, PR China
| | - Donghui Hou
- National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Space Environment Exploration, Beijing, PR China
- University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Space Situation Awareness Technology, Beijing, PR China
| | - Stephan I Böttcher
- Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Sönke Burmeister
- Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Lars Seimetz
- Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Björn Schuster
- Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Violetta Knierim
- Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Guohong Shen
- National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Space Environment Exploration, Beijing, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Space Situation Awareness Technology, Beijing, PR China
| | - Bin Yuan
- National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Space Environment Exploration, Beijing, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Space Situation Awareness Technology, Beijing, PR China
| | - Henning Lohf
- Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Jingnan Guo
- Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, PR China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology, Hefei, PR China
| | - Zigong Xu
- Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Shrinivasrao R Kulkarni
- Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Haitao Xu
- National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Changbin Xue
- National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Jun Li
- National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center, Beijing, PR China
| | - He Zhang
- China Academy of Space Technology, Beijing, PR China
| | - Thomas Berger
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Cologne, Germany
| | - Daniel Matthiä
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Cologne, Germany
| | - Christine E Hellweg
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Cologne, Germany
| | - Xufeng Hou
- 18th Research Institute, China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, Tianjin, PR China
| | | | - Zhen Chang
- National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Space Environment Exploration, Beijing, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Space Situation Awareness Technology, Beijing, PR China
| | - Binquan Zhang
- National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Space Environment Exploration, Beijing, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Space Situation Awareness Technology, Beijing, PR China
| | - Yuesong Chen
- National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Hao Geng
- National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Zida Quan
- National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Space Environment Exploration, Beijing, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Space Situation Awareness Technology, Beijing, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Berger T, Marsalek K, Aeckerlein J, Hauslage J, Matthiä D, Przybyla B, Rohde M, Wirtz M. The German Aerospace Center M-42 radiation detector-A new development for applications in mixed radiation fields. Rev Sci Instrum 2019; 90:125115. [PMID: 31893784 DOI: 10.1063/1.5122301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In the last few years, the Biophysics Working Group of the Institute of Aerospace Medicine of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) started the development of a small low power consumption radiation detector system for the measurement of the absorbed dose to be applied in various environments, such as onboard aircraft, in space, and also as a demonstration tool for students. These so called DLR M-42 detectors are based on an electronics design, which can easily be adjusted to the user- and mission-requirements. M-42 systems were already applied for measurements in airplanes, during two MAPHEUS (Materialphysikalische Experimente unter Schwerelosigkeit) rocket missions, and are currently prepared for long term balloon experiments. In addition, they will be part of the dosimetry suite of the upcoming Matroshka AstroRad Radiation Experiment on the NASA Artemis I mission. This paper gives an overview of the design and the testing of the DLR M-42 systems and provides highlighted results from the MAPHEUS campaigns where the detectors were tested for the first time under space flight conditions. Results clearly show that the system design enables independent measurements starting upon rocket launch due to the built-in accelerometer sensors and provides data for the relevant 6 min of μ-gravity as given for the MAPHEUS missions. These 6 min of the μ-gravity environment at altitudes between 100 and 240 km lead to a total absorbed dose of 1.21 ± 0.15 µGy being equivalent to half a day of radiation background measured with the M-42 in the laboratory at DLR, Cologne, Germany.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T Berger
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Linder Hoehe, 51147 Cologne, Germany
| | - K Marsalek
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Linder Hoehe, 51147 Cologne, Germany
| | - J Aeckerlein
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Linder Hoehe, 51147 Cologne, Germany
| | - J Hauslage
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Linder Hoehe, 51147 Cologne, Germany
| | - D Matthiä
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Linder Hoehe, 51147 Cologne, Germany
| | - B Przybyla
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Linder Hoehe, 51147 Cologne, Germany
| | - M Rohde
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Linder Hoehe, 51147 Cologne, Germany
| | - M Wirtz
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Linder Hoehe, 51147 Cologne, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Abstract
In their most recent recommendations, the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) proposed the use of a set of updated tissue and radiation weighting factors for the calculation of the effective dose. This recommendation was adopted in the European Union by the directive 2013/59/EURATOM in 2013 and implemented in the corresponding radiation protection regulations in Germany in 2018. In this study, we investigate the impact of the new weighting factors according to ICRP 103 on the dose rates of the effective dose due to the exposure of aircrew to cosmic radiation with the PANDOCA model for the description of the complex radiation field in the atmosphere. The application of the updated weighting factors leads to a reduction in the rate of the effective dose in the order of 20% to 30% depending on atmospheric and geomagnetic shielding as well as solar modulation.
Collapse
|
10
|
Zeitlin C, Hassler DM, Ehresmann B, Rafkin SCR, Guo J, Wimmer-Schweingruber RF, Berger T, Matthiä D. Measurements of radiation quality factor on Mars with the Mars Science Laboratory Radiation Assessment Detector. Life Sci Space Res (Amst) 2019; 22:89-97. [PMID: 31421853 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2019.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We report the first long-term measurements of the radiation quality factor of energetic charged particles on the surface of Mars. The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) aboard the Mars Science Laboratory rover, also known as Curiosity, has been operating on Mars since 2012. RAD contains thin silicon detectors that record the ionization energy loss of energetic charged particles. The particles are dominantly galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) and the products of their interactions in the Martian atmosphere, with occasional contributions from solar energetic particles (SEPs). The quality factor on the surface of Mars is influenced by two factors: variations in the shielding provided by the atmosphere, and changes in the spectrum of the incident energetic particle flux due to the 11-year solar cycle. The two cannot be easily disentangled using the data alone, but insights can be gained from calculations and Monte Carlo simulations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C Zeitlin
- Leidos Innovations Corporation, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - D M Hassler
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - B Ehresmann
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO, USA
| | | | - J Guo
- Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Christian Albrechts University, Kiel, Germany; Department of Geophysics and Planetary Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | | | - T Berger
- German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Cologne, Germany
| | - D Matthiä
- German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Cologne, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Matthiä D, Hassler DM, de Wet W, Ehresmann B, Firan A, Flores-McLaughlin J, Guo J, Heilbronn LH, Lee K, Ratliff H, Rios RR, Slaba TC, Smith M, Stoffle NN, Townsend LW, Berger T, Reitz G, Wimmer-Schweingruber RF, Zeitlin C. The radiation environment on the surface of Mars - Summary of model calculations and comparison to RAD data. Life Sci Space Res (Amst) 2017; 14:18-28. [PMID: 28887939 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2017.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Revised: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The radiation environment at the Martian surface is, apart from occasional solar energetic particle events, dominated by galactic cosmic radiation, secondary particles produced in their interaction with the Martian atmosphere and albedo particles from the Martian regolith. The highly energetic primary cosmic radiation consists mainly of fully ionized nuclei creating a complex radiation field at the Martian surface. This complex field, its formation and its potential health risk posed to astronauts on future manned missions to Mars can only be fully understood using a combination of measurements and model calculations. In this work the outcome of a workshop held in June 2016 in Boulder, CO, USA is presented: experimental results from the Radiation Assessment Detector of the Mars Science Laboratory are compared to model results from GEANT4, HETC-HEDS, HZETRN, MCNP6, and PHITS. Charged and neutral particle spectra and dose rates measured between 15 November 2015 and 15 January 2016 and model results calculated for this time period are investigated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Matthiä
- German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Linder Höhe, 51147, Cologne, Germany.
| | - Donald M Hassler
- Southwest Research Institute, Space Science and Engineering Division, Boulder, USA; Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, CNRS, Orsay, France
| | - Wouter de Wet
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Bent Ehresmann
- Southwest Research Institute, Space Science and Engineering Division, Boulder, USA
| | - Ana Firan
- Space Radiation Analysis Group, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA; Leidos Exploration and Mission Support, Houston, TX, 77258, USA
| | - John Flores-McLaughlin
- Space Radiation Analysis Group, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA; University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jingnan Guo
- Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Lawrence H Heilbronn
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Kerry Lee
- Space Radiation Analysis Group, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hunter Ratliff
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Ryan R Rios
- Space Radiation Analysis Group, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA; Leidos Exploration and Mission Support, Houston, TX, 77258, USA
| | - Tony C Slaba
- NASA Langley Research Center, 2 West Reid St., MS 188E, Hampton, VA, 23681, USA
| | - Michael Smith
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | | | - Lawrence W Townsend
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Thomas Berger
- German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Linder Höhe, 51147, Cologne, Germany
| | - Günther Reitz
- German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Linder Höhe, 51147, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Cary Zeitlin
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Leidos Exploration and Mission Support, Houston, TX, 77258, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Matthiä D, Berger T. The radiation environment on the surface of Mars - Numerical calculations of the galactic component with GEANT4/PLANETOCOSMICS. Life Sci Space Res (Amst) 2017; 14:57-63. [PMID: 28887945 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2017.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Galactic cosmic radiation and secondary particles produced in the interaction with the atmosphere lead to a complex radiation field on the Martian surface. A workshop ("1st Mars Space Radiation Modeling Workshop") organized by the MSL-RAD science team was held in June 2016 in Boulder with the goal to compare models capable to predict this radiation field with each other and measurements from the RAD instrument onboard the curiosity rover taken between November 15, 2015 and January 15, 2016. In this work the results of PLANETOCOSMICS/GEANT4 contributed to the workshop are presented. Calculated secondary particle spectra on the Martian surface are investigated and the radiation field's directionality of the different particles in dependence on the energy is discussed. Omnidirectional particle fluxes are used in combination with fluence to dose conversion factors to calculate absorbed dose rates and dose equivalent rates in a slab of tissue.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Matthiä
- German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Linder Höhe, 51147 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Thomas Berger
- German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Linder Höhe, 51147 Cologne, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Ehresmann B, Zeitlin CJ, Hassler DM, Matthiä D, Guo J, Wimmer-Schweingruber RF, Appel JK, Brinza DE, Rafkin SCR, Böttcher SI, Burmeister S, Lohf H, Martin C, Böhm E, Reitz G. The charged particle radiation environment on Mars measured by MSL/RAD from November 15, 2015 to January 15, 2016. Life Sci Space Res (Amst) 2017; 14:3-11. [PMID: 28887941 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2017.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Revised: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) on board the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover has been measuring the radiation environment in Gale crater on Mars since August, 2012. These first in-situ measurements provide an important data set for assessing the radiation-associated health risks for future manned missions to Mars. Mainly, the radiation field on the Martian surface stems from Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs) and secondary particles created by the GCRs' interactions with the Martian atmosphere and soil. RAD is capable of measuring differential particle fluxes for lower-energy ions and isotopes of hydrogen and helium (up to hundreds of MeV/nuc). Additionally, RAD also measures integral particle fluxes for higher energies of these ions. Besides providing insight on the current Martian radiation environment, these fluxes also present an essential input for particle transport codes that are used to model the radiation to be encountered during future manned missions to Mars. Comparing simulation results with actual ground-truth measurements helps to validate these transport codes and identify potential areas of improvements in the underlying physics of these codes. At the First Mars Radiation Modeling Workshop (June 2016 in Boulder, CO), different groups of modelers were asked to calculate the Martian surface radiation environment for the time of November 15, 2015 to January 15, 2016. These model results can then be compared with in-situ measurements of MSL/RAD conducted during the same time frame. In this publication, we focus on presenting the charged particle fluxes measured by RAD between November 15, 2015 and January 15, 2016, providing the necessary data set for the comparison to model outputs from the modeling workshop. We also compare the fluxes to initial GCR intensities, as well as to RAD measurements from an earlier time period (August 2012 to January 2013). Furthermore, we describe how changes and updates in RAD on board processing and the on ground analysis tools effect and improve the flux calculations. An in-depth comparison of modeling results from the workshop and RAD fluxes of this publication is presented elsewhere in this issue (Matthiä et al., 2017).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bent Ehresmann
- Southwest Research Institute, Space Science and Engineering Division, 1050 Walnut Street, Suite 300, Boulder, CO 80302, USA.
| | | | - Donald M Hassler
- Southwest Research Institute, Space Science and Engineering Division, 1050 Walnut Street, Suite 300, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - Daniel Matthiä
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jingnan Guo
- Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Jan K Appel
- Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - David E Brinza
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Scot C R Rafkin
- Southwest Research Institute, Space Science and Engineering Division, 1050 Walnut Street, Suite 300, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | | | | | - Henning Lohf
- Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Cesar Martin
- Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Eckart Böhm
- Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Günther Reitz
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Cologne, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Abstract
Epidemiological studies are a useful instrument for investigating the influence of environmental factors on human health. In this context, the determination and quantification of the corresponding exposure is a demanding challenge. With regard to the investigation of the potential health effects in aircrew due to cosmic radiation, their occupational exposure at aviation altitudes is usually assessed in terms of the radiation protection quantity effective dose, which is stored in and available from official dose registers in many countries. However, when biological effects on a particular organ are investigated, knowledge of the corresponding exposure of that particular organ is necessary. In this study, we investigate the differences between the skin dose and the effective dose for the exposure of aircrew to cosmic radiation using a mathematical model for the radiation field at aviation altitudes. Furthermore, we present a method to deduce skin dose values from the officially registered effective doses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthias M Meier
- German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology, Linder Höhe, 51147 Köln, Germany
| | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Ehresmann B, Hassler DM, Zeitlin C, Guo J, Köhler J, Wimmer-Schweingruber RF, Appel JK, Brinza DE, Rafkin SCR, Böttcher SI, Burmeister S, Lohf H, Martin C, Böhm E, Matthiä D, Reitz G. Charged particle spectra measured during the transit to Mars with the Mars Science Laboratory Radiation Assessment Detector (MSL/RAD). Life Sci Space Res (Amst) 2016; 10:29-37. [PMID: 27662785 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2016.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Revised: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) started its 253-day cruise to Mars on November 26, 2011. During cruise the Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD), situated on board the Curiosity rover, conducted measurements of the energetic-particle radiation environment inside the spacecraft. This environment consists mainly of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs), as well as secondary particles created by interactions of these GCRs with the spacecraft. The RAD measurements can serve as a proxy for the radiation environment a human crew would encounter during a transit to Mars, for a given part of the solar cycle, assuming that a crewed vehicle would have comparable shielding. The measurements of radiological quantities made by RAD are important in themselves, and, the same data set allow for detailed analysis of GCR-induced particle spectra inside the spacecraft. This provides important inputs for the evaluation of current transport models used to model the free-space (and spacecraft) radiation environment for different spacecraft shielding and different times in the solar cycle. Changes in these conditions can lead to significantly different radiation fields and, thus, potential health risks, emphasizing the need for validated transport codes. Here, we present the first measurements of charged particle fluxes inside a spacecraft during the transit from Earth to Mars. Using data obtained during the last two month of the cruise to Mars (June 11-July 14, 2012), we have derived detailed energy spectra for low-Z particles stopping in the instrument's detectors, as well as integral fluxes for penetrating particles with higher energies. Furthermore, we analyze the temporal changes in measured proton fluxes during quiet solar periods (i.e., when no solar energetic particle events occurred) over the duration of the transit (December 9, 2011-July 14, 2012) and correlate them with changing heliospheric conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bent Ehresmann
- Southwest Research Institute, Space Science and Engineering Division, 1050 Walnut Street, Suite 300, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | - Donald M Hassler
- Southwest Research Institute, Space Science and Engineering Division, 1050 Walnut Street, Suite 300, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Cary Zeitlin
- Southwest Research Institute, Earth, Oceans, & Space Department, Durham, NH, USA
| | - Jingnan Guo
- Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Jan Köhler
- Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Jan K Appel
- Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - David E Brinza
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Scot C R Rafkin
- Southwest Research Institute, Space Science and Engineering Division, 1050 Walnut Street, Suite 300, Boulder, CO, USA
| | | | | | - Henning Lohf
- Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Cesar Martin
- Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Eckart Böhm
- Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Daniel Matthiä
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Cologne, Germany
| | - Günther Reitz
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Cologne, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Bilski P, Matthiä D, Berger T. Influence of cosmic radiation spectrum and its variation on the relative efficiency of LiF thermoluminescent detectors – Calculations and measurements. RADIAT MEAS 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.radmeas.2016.02.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
17
|
Narici L, Berger T, Matthiä D, Reitz G. Radiation Measurements Performed with Active Detectors Relevant for Human Space Exploration. Front Oncol 2015; 5:273. [PMID: 26697408 PMCID: PMC4672055 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2015.00273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
A reliable radiation risk assessment in space is a mandatory step for the development of countermeasures and long-duration mission planning in human spaceflight. Research in radiobiology provides information about possible risks linked to radiation. In addition, for a meaningful risk evaluation, the radiation exposure has to be assessed to a sufficient level of accuracy. Consequently, both the radiation models predicting the risks and the measurements used to validate such models must have an equivalent precision. Corresponding measurements can be performed both with passive and active devices. The former is easier to handle, cheaper, lighter, and smaller but they measure neither the time dependence of the radiation environment nor some of the details useful for a comprehensive radiation risk assessment. Active detectors provide most of these details and have been extensively used in the International Space Station. To easily access such an amount of data, a single point access is becoming essential. This review presents an ongoing work on the development of a tool that allows obtaining information about all relevant measurements performed with active detectors providing reliable inputs for radiation model validation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Livio Narici
- Department of Physics University of Rome Tor Vergata and INFN-Roma2 , Rome , Italy ; Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center (DLR) , Cologne , Germany
| | - Thomas Berger
- Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center (DLR) , Cologne , Germany
| | - Daniel Matthiä
- Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center (DLR) , Cologne , Germany
| | - Günther Reitz
- Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center (DLR) , Cologne , Germany
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
|
19
|
Herbst K, Kopp A, Heber B, Steinhilber F, Fichtner H, Scherer K, Matthiä D. On the importance of the local interstellar spectrum for the solar modulation parameter. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2009jd012557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
|
20
|
Matthiä D, Heber B, Reitz G, Sihver L, Berger T, Meier M. The ground level event 70 on December 13th, 2006 and related effective doses at aviation altitudes. Radiat Prot Dosimetry 2009; 136:304-310. [PMID: 19675011 DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncp141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The 70th ground level event in the records of the Neutron Monitor network occurred on 13 December 2006 reaching a maximum count rate increase at the Oulu station of more than 90 % during the 5 min interval 3.05-3.10 UTC. Thereafter, count rates gradually decreased registering increases of a few per cent above the galactic cosmic ray background after a few hours. The primary proton spectrum during the first 6 h after the onset of the event is characterised in this work by fitting the energy and angular distribution by a power law in rigidity and a linear dependence in the pitch angle using a minimisation technique. The results were obtained by analysing the data from 28 Neutron Monitor stations. At very high northern and southern latitudes, the effective dose rates were estimated to reach values of 25-30 microSv h(-1) at atmospheric depth of 200 g cm(-2) during the maximum of the event. The increase in effective dose during north atlantic and polar flights was estimated to be in the order of 20 %.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Matthiä
- Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology, German Aerospace Center, Cologne, Germany.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Abstract
Based upon the European Union (EU)-Directive 96/29/EURATOM, legal regulations on the radiation protection of aircrew had to be implemented into the corresponding national law within the member states of the EU by 13 May 2000. In Article 42 the directive stipulates, among other things, that the exposure of the crew concerned shall be assessed. This requirement has been implemented by dose calculations for most aircrew members in the EU. Some airlines and research institutes regularly spot check the calculated doses by measuring flights. The solar minimum is a time period of particular interest since the dose rates at aviation altitudes reach their maximum within the 11-year solar cycle. For this reason, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) performed repeated measuring flights in cooperation with several German airlines during the past solar minimum from March 2006 to August 2008. The measuring devices used consisted of a tissue equivalent proportional counter, various types of Liulin semiconductor detectors and several bubble detectors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthias M Meier
- DLR - German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology, 51147 Cologne, Germany.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Matthiä D, Sihver L, Meier M. Monte-Carlo calculations of particle fluences and neutron effective dose rates in the atmosphere. Radiat Prot Dosimetry 2008; 131:222-228. [PMID: 18448435 DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncn130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring of radiation exposure of aircrew is a legal requirement for many airlines in the EU and a challenging task in dosimetry. Monte-Carlo simulations of cosmic particles in the atmosphere can contribute to the understanding of the corresponding radiation field. Calculations of secondary neutron fluences in the atmosphere produced by galactic cosmic rays together with the resulting neutron-effective dose rates are shown in this paper and compared with results from the AIR project. The PLANETOCOSMICS package based on GEANT4 and two models for the local interstellar spectra of galactic cosmic rays have been used for the calculations. Furthermore, secondary muon fluences have been computed and are compared with CAPRICE measurements.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Matthiä
- German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Porz-Wahnheide, Linder Höhe, 51147 Köln, Germany.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|