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Dosimetric considerations on TEPC fluka-simulation and measurements.

The response of a tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) has been simulated with the Monte Carlo transport code FLUKA. The absorbed dose distribution of lineal energy y has been determined for several monoenergetic photon and neutron sources. The agreement between the calculated results and the measurements carried out with different well-known sources is well demonstrated. Work is in progress in order to evaluate the response of the instrument in the cosmic ray environment.

Algorithms↗

Averaged particle dose conversion coefficients in air crew dosimetry.

The MCNPX Monte Carlo code was used to calculate energy-dependent fluence-to-effective dose conversion coefficients for neutrons, protons, electrons, photons, charged pions and muons. The FLUKA Monte Carlo code was used to calculate the spectral particle fluences of secondary cosmic rays for different altitudes, and for different combinations of solar modulation and vertical cut-off rigidity parameters. The energy-averaged fluence-to-dose conversion coefficients were obtained by folding the particle fluence spectra with the conversion coefficients for effective dose and ambient dose equivalent. They show a slight dependence on altitude, solar activity and location in the geomagnetic field.

Aircraft↗

Evaluation of solid state nuclear track detector stacks exposed on the international space station.

The aim of the study was to investigate the contribution of secondary neutrons to the total dose inside the International Space Station (ISS). For this purpose solid-state nuclear track detector (SSNTD) stacks were used. Each stack consisted of three CR-39 sheets. The first and second sheets were separated by a Ti plate, and the second and third sheets sandwiched a Lexan polycarbonate foil. The neutron and proton responses of each sheet were studied through MC calculations and experimentally, utilising monoenergetic protons. Seven stacks were exposed in 2001 for 249 days at different locations of the Russian segment 'Zvezda'. The total storage time before and after the exposure onboard was estimated to be seven months. Another eight stacks were exposed at the CERF high-energy neutron field for calibration purposes. The CR-39 detectors were evaluated in four steps: after 2, 6, 12 and 20 h etching in 6 N NaOH at 70 degrees C (VB = 1.34 microm h(-1)). All the individual tracks were investigated and recorded using an image analyser. The stacks provided the averaged neutron ambient dose equivalent (H*) between 200 keV and 20 MeV, and the values varied from 39 to 73 microSv d(-1), depending on the location. The Lexan detectors were used to detect the dose originating from high-charge and high-energy (HZE) particles. These results will be published elsewhere.

Body Burden↗

Single event upsets in semiconductor devices induced by highly ionising particles.

A new model of single event upsets (SEUs), created in memory cells by heavy ions and high energy hadrons, has been developed. The model takes into account the spatial distribution of charge collection efficiency over the cell area not considered in previous approaches. Three-dimensional calculations made by the HADRON code have shown good agreement with experimental data for the energy dependence of proton SEU cross sections, sensitive depths and other SEU observables. The model is promising for prediction of SEU rates for memory chips exposed in space and in high-energy experiments as well as for the development of a high-energy neutron dosemeter based on the SEU effect.

Algorithms↗

TEPC measurements in commercial aircraft.

The collaborative project involving the Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL), Virgin Atlantic Airways (VAA), the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the UK National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has been performing tissue-equivalent proportional counter measurements of cosmic ray doses in commercial aircraft since January 2000. In that time data have been recorded on over 700 flights, including over 150 flights with Air New Zealand (ANZ). This substantial set of data from the southern hemisphere is an ideal complement to the London-based measurements performed primarily on VAA flights. Although some ANZ data remains to be analysed, dose information from 111 flights has been compared with the CARI and EPCARD computer codes. Overall, the agreement between the measurements and EPCARD was excellent (within 1% for the total ambient dose equivalent), and the difference in the total effective doses predicted by EPCARD and CARI was <5%.

Aircraft↗

The relative transit time of high-rigidity and low-rigidity cosmic rays through the solar system.

A study of neutron monitor count rates with vertical cut-off rigidities from 0.6 to 13 GV indicates that high-energy and low-energy galactic cosmic rays arrive at earth orbit with small time differences compared to a month. This is in contradiction to the theory of the deceleration potential which states that cosmic-ray particles with rigidities greater than 36 V arrive at earth orbit about three months before cosmic-ray particles with lesses rigidines.

Cosmic Radiation↗

Measured proton sensitivities of bubble detectors.

The neutron dose equivalent in aircraft is measured using commercial bubble detectors, but at high altitudes there are not only neutrons but also protons. Bubble detectors have been used because they are considered not to be sensitive to protons, but this has been the subject of only a few studies. In this study, by irradiating bubble detectors with energetic protons, the detectors' responses to protons were observed. Bubbles were clearly formed by protons, but the proton sensitivities were one order of magnitude smaller than the neutron sensitivities. Thus, counts of protons can be ignored in neutron measurements in aircraft.

Aerospace Medicine↗

Absorbed dose rate estimation for protons, leptons and helium observed with AMS01 experiment in low earth orbit during STS-91 mission.

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS01), a high-sensitivity particle spectrometer, was successfully flown for 10 d in June 1998 (STS91) in the orbit of the International Space Station (51.7 degrees, -380 km). A high-statistics dataset of galactic cosmic rays were measured as a function of geomagnetic latitude, including the primary protons, leptons and helium as well as the trapped and quasi-trapped proton and lepton components. In this paper, the absorbed dose rate owing to the protons, leptons and helium are presented and compared with measurements made by other instruments flown on the same mission.

Body Burden↗

A mathematical model of aircraft for evaluating the effects of shielding structure on aircrew exposure.

To investigate the influence of the aircraft structures and contents on the exposure of aircrew to the galactic component of cosmic rays, a mathematical model of an aeroplane has been developed. The irradiation of the mathematical model in the cosmic ray environment has been simulated using the Monte Carlo transport code FLUKA. Effective dose andambient dose-equivalent rates have been determined inside the aircraft at several locations along the fuselage at a typicaI civil aviation altitude. A significant effect of the shielding of aircraft structures has been observed on the ambient dose-equivalent rates, while the impact on the effective dose rates seems to be minor. Care should be taken in positioning the detectors onboard when the measurements are aimed at validating the codes.

Aerospace Medicine↗

The intercomparison of cosmic rays with heavy ion beams at NIRS (ICCHIBAN) project.

The ICCHIBAN-2 experiment, the first dedicated to the ground-based intercomparison of passive space dosemeters, was carried out between 23 May and 28 May 2002 at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences in Chiba, Japan. The primary objective of the ICCHIBAN-2 experiment was to intercompare the response of passive dosemeters used in space crew dosimetry to monoenergetic heavy ions of charge and energy spanning a significant portion of the galactic cosmic ray (GCR) spectrum. During the ICCHIBAN-2 experiment, dosemeters from 12 different laboratories in 9 countries were irradiated under identical conditions to heavy ion beams of 150 MeV n(-1) (4)He, 400 MeV n(-1) (12)C, 490 MeV n(-1) (28)Si and 500 MeV n(-1) (56)Fe at the NIRS Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator.

Cosmic Radiation↗

Direct dark matter search using large-mass superheated droplet detectors in the PICASSO experiment.

The PICASSO experiment investigates the presence and nature of dark matter in the Universe. The experiment is based on the detection of acoustic signals generated in explosive phase transitions induced by dark matter particles. This technique is an alternative more traditional detection technique like scintillation and ionisation, which are largely employed for dark matter search. One of the main advantages of this technique, besides its sensitivity to very low nuclear recoil energies (few keV), is its excellent background suppression features. A pilot experiment consisting of six superheated droplet detectors (40 g of active mass) is presently taking data at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) at a depth of 2000 m. We discuss the operation, calibration and data acquisition of the experiment and also the ongoing work to increase the sensitivity and the active mass of the detectors.

Cosmic Radiation↗

Simulation of special bubble detectors for PICASSO.

The PICASSO project is a cold dark matter (CDM) search experiment relying on the superheated droplet technique. The detectors use superheated freon liquid droplets (active material) dispersed and trapped in a polymerised gel. This detection technique is based on the phase transition of superheated droplets at about room temperature and ambient pressure. The phase transition is induced by nuclear recoils when an atomic nucleus in the droplets interacts with incoming subatomic particles. This includes CDM particles candidate as the neutralino (a yet-to-discover particle predicted in extensions of the standard model of particle physics). Simulations performed to understand the detector response to neutrons and alpha particles are presented along with corresponding data obtained at the Montreal Laboratory.

Computer Simulation↗

Neutron spectrometry using CR-39 track etch detectors.

Track-size distributions were measured for chemically etched CR-39 foils exposed to monoenergetic neutrons with energies ranging from 0.144 to 19 MeV and to various broad-spectrum neutron sources including spontaneous fission neutrons from (238)Pu. These tracks are due to energetic charged particles resulting from interactions of the neutrons with the CR-39. The tracks are visible with an optical microscope after chemical etching and vary in size and configuration depending on the particle, energy and angle of incidence. The foils were analysed using an automatic analysis system that scans the foils, identifies valid tracks and records the track-size parameters. The track-size distributions vary with neutron energy for the monoenergetic sources and with the hardness of the broad-spectrum sources. The distribution from the (238)Pu fission source is readily distinguishable from the other sources measured and from distributions owing to the background.

Cosmic Radiation↗

The simple SDD.

We describe the fabrication and characterisation of the SIMPLE superheated droplet detector, a 10 g active mass device of C(2)ClF(5) in 1-3% weight concentrations currently employed in a direct search for spin-dependent astroparticle dark matter candidates.

Chlorofluorocarbons, Methane↗

The design of a portable cosmic ray three-band neutron detector.

The design of a portable three-band cosmic-ray neutron detector is reported in this article. This instrument has been designed to characterise cosmic ray neutron fields in the upper atmosphere and in cosmic reference field facilities. The design utilises a spherical moderator with a layer of spallation material covering a central (3)He proportional counter. The instrument incorporates twelve lithium-coated diodes, six on the outside of the polyethylene layer and six placed within the structure. The dimensions, materials and arrangement of these in the instrument have been optimised with MCNPX to provide a compromise between the requirements of portability and spectral response.

Cosmic Radiation↗