Secondary radiation environments in heavy space vehicles and instruments.

Secondary radiations produced by the interactions of primary cosmic rays and trapped protons with spacecraft materials and detectors provides an important, and sometimes dominant, radiation environment for sensitive scientific instruments and biological systems. In this paper the success of a number of calculations in predicting a variety of effects will be examined. The calculation techniques include Monte Carlo transport codes and semi-empirical fragmentation calculations. Observations are based on flights of the Cosmic Radiation Environment and Activation Monitor at a number of inclinations and altitudes on Space Shuttle. The Shuttle experiments included an active cosmic-ray detector as well as metal activation foils and passive detector crystals of sodium iodide which were counted for induced radioactivity soon after return to earth. Results show that cosmic-ray secondaries increase the fluxes of particles of linear energy transfer less than 200 MeV/(gm cm-2), while the activation of the crystals is enhanced by about a factor of three due to secondary neutrons. Detailed spectra of induced radioactivity resulting from spallation products have been obtained. More than a hundred significant radioactive nuclides are included in the calculation and overall close agreement with the observations is obtained.     

Effects of increased shielding on gamma-radiation levels within spacecraft.

The Shuttle Activation Monitor (SAM) experiment was flown on the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-28) from 8-13 August, 1989 in a 57 degrees, 300 km orbit. One objective of the SAM experiment was to determine the relative effect of different amounts of shielding on the gamma-ray backgrounds measured with similarly configured sodium iodide (NaI) and bismuth germante (BGO) detectors. To achieve this objective twenty-four hours of data were taken with each detector in the middeck of the Shuttle on the ceiling of the airlock (a high-shielding location) as well as on the sleep station wall (a low-shielding location). For the cosmic-ray induced background the results indicate an increased overall count rate in the 0.2 to 10 MeV energy range at the more highly shielded location, while in regions of trapped radiation the low shielding configuration gives higher rates at the low energy end of the spectrum.     

Atmospheric reentry hemisphere prediction for prograde orbits using logical disjunction

A unique logic-based algorithm for atmospheric reentry hemisphere prediction is presented for spacecraft in low-eccentricity, prograde low Earth orbits at altitudes of 300 km and lower. Using two-line element (TLE) data for initial orbit conditions, coupled with coarse estimates for spacecraft aerodynamic characteristics, the algorithm relies on logical disjunction operations based on a dual analysis of histogram and two-weighted Gaussian probability density function (PDF) fits of predicted reentry latitude data. The algorithm requires the execution of a series of parametric simulations to determine the reentry hemisphere for variations in spacecraft aerodynamic coefficients and drag reference area. When implemented, the algorithm yields accurate hemisphere predictions on average 15 days from reentry as demonstrated by historical reentry cases from 1979 to 2018. All reentry cases were selected to demonstrate the algorithm’s ability to deliver accurate reentry hemisphere predictions for spacecraft with varying physical size and mass, and reentering during different periods of solar cycle activity.     

Low altitude dose measurements from APEX, CRRES and DMSP

Dosimeter data taken on the APEX (1994–1996), CRRES (1990–1991) and DMSP (1984–1987) satellites have been used to study the low altitude (down to 350 km) radiation environment. Of special concern has been the inner edge of the inner radiation belt due to its steep gradient. We have constructed dose models of the inner edge of the belt from all three spacecraft and put them into a personal computer utility, called APEXRAD, that calculates dose for user-selected orbits. The variation of dose for low altitude, circular orbits is given as a function of altitude, inclination and particle type. Dose-depth curves show that shielding greater than 1/4 in Al is largely ineffectual for low altitude orbits. The contribution of outer zone electrons to low altitude dose is shown to be important only for thin shields and to have significant variation with magnetic activity and solar cycle.     

HZE-dosimetry on MIR92, IML-1 and D-2

Nuclear track detectors were used to measure the integral Linear Energy Transfer (LET) spectra above 1 GeV per cm water behind the complex material shielding inside a spacecraft. The measurements are compared with predictions of the contribution of high charge, high energy HZE particles of the galactic cosmic radiation taking into account the influence of solar and geomagnetic modulation and shielding by matter.     

Heavy ion measurement on LDEF.

A stack of CR-39 track detectors was exposed on the NASA satellite LDEF and recovered after almost 6 years in space. The quick look analysis yielded heavy ion tracks on a background of low energy secondaries from proton interactions. The detected heavy ions show a steep energy spectrum which indicates a radiation belt origin.     

Inner radiation belt source of helium and heavy hydrogen isotopes

Nuclear interactions between inner zone protons and atoms in the upper atmosphere provide the main source of energetic H and He isotopes nuclei in the radiation belt. This paper reports on the specified calculations of these isotope intensities using various inner zone proton intensity models (AP-8 and SAMPEX/PET PSB97), the atmosphere drift-averaged composition and density model MSIS-90, and cross-sections of the interaction processes from the GNASH nuclear model code. To calculate drift-averaged densities and energy losses of secondaries, the particles were tracked in the geomagnetic field (modelled through IGRF-95) by integrating numerically the equation of the motion. The calculations take into account the kinematics of nuclear interactions along the whole trajectory of trapped proton. The comparison with new data obtained from the experiments on board RESURS-04 and MITA satellites and with data from SAMPEX and CRRES satellites taken during different phases of solar activity shows that the upper atmosphere is a sufficient source for inner zone helium and heavy hydrogen isotopes. The calculation results are energy spectra and angular distributions of light nuclear isotopes in the inner radiation belt that may be used to develop helium inner radiation belt model and to evaluate their contribution to SEU (single event upset) rates.     

Results from the ESA SREM monitors and comparison with existing radiation belt models

The Standard Radiation Environment Monitor (SREM) is a simple particle detector developed for wide application on ESA satellites. It measures high-energy protons and electrons of the space environment with a 20° angular resolution and limited spectral information. Of the ten SREMs that have been manufactured, four have so far flown. The first model on STRV-1c functioned well until an early spacecraft failure. The other three are on-board, the ESA spacecraft INTEGRAL, ROSETTA and PROBA-1. Another model is flying on GIOVE-B, launched in April 2008 with three L-2 science missions to follow: both Herschel and Planck in 2008, and GAIA in 2011). The diverse orbits of these spacecraft and the common calibration of the monitors provides a unique dataset covering a wide range of B-L* space, providing a direct comparison of the radiation levels in the belts at different locations, and the effects of geomagnetic shielding. Data from the PROBA/SREM and INTEGRAL/IREM are compared with existing radiation belt models.     

Observations and predictions of secondary neutrons on Space Shuttle and aircraft.

The Cosmic Radiation Effects and Activation Monitor has flown on six Shuttle flights between September 1991 and February 1995 covering the full range of inclinations as well as altitudes between 220 and 570 km, while a version has flown at supersonic altitudes on Concorde between 1988 and 1992 and at subsonic altitudes on a SAS Boeing 767 between May and August 1993. The Shuttle flights have included passive packages in addition to the active cosmic ray monitor which comprises an array of pin diodes. These are positioned at a number of locations to investigate the influence of shielding and local materials. Use of both metal activation foils and scintillator crystals enables neutron fluences to be inferred from the induced radioactivity which is observed on return to Earth. Supporting radiation transport calculations are performed to predict secondary neutron spectra and the energy deposition due to nuclear reactions in silicon pin diodes and the induced radioactivity in the various scintillator crystals. The wide variety of orbital and atmospheric locations enables investigation of the influence of shielding on cosmic ray, trapped proton and solar flare proton spectra.     

Estimates of HZE particle contributions to SPE radiation exposures on interplanetary missions.

Estimates of radiation doses resulting from possible HZE (high energy heavy ion) components of solar particle events (SPEs) are presented for crews of manned interplanetary missions. The calculations assume a model spectrum obtained by folding measured solar flare HZE particle abundances with the measured energy spectra of SPE alpha particles. These hypothetical spectra are then transported through aluminum spacecraft shielding. The results, presented as estimates of absorbed dose and dose equivalent, indicate that HZE components by themselves are not a major concern for crew protection but should be included in any overall risk assessment. The predictions are found to be sensitive to the assumed spectral hardness parameters.     

Forecasting space weather: Predicting interplanetary shocks using neural networks

We are developing a system to predict the arrival of interplanetary (IP) shocks at the Earth. These events are routinely detected by the Electron, Proton, and Alpha Monitor (EPAM) instrument aboard NASA’s ACE spacecraft, which is positioned at Lagrange Point 1 (L1). In this work, we use historical EPAM data to train an IP shock forecasting algorithm. Our approach centers on the observation that these shocks are often preceded by identifiable signatures in the energetic particle intensity data. Using EPAM data, we trained an artificial neural network to predict the time remaining until the shock arrival. After training this algorithm on 37 events, it was able to forecast the arrival time for 19 previously unseen events. The average uncertainty in the prediction 24 h in advance was 8.9 h, while the uncertainty improved to 4.6 h when the event was 12 h away. This system is accessible online, where it provides predictions of shock arrival times using real-time EPAM data.     

Comparison of measured cosmic ray LET spectra with models and predictions.

Radiation effects of cosmic ray nuclei are generally described as a function of the particle LET. For a large number of space missions LET spectra have been measured and models have been developed to calculate these spectra that include the effects of geomagnetic shielding and shielding provided by material. In this paper we compare measured and calculated LET spectra. For low earth orbits events with high local energy deposition, i.e., short range secondaries, contribute significantly to the measured spectra. These events are produced by nuclear interactions, mainly induced by protons from the south atlantic anomaly. The technique to include these contributions in the models depends on the size of radiation sensitive volumes. For sizes comparable to or larger than the range of target secondaries it is essential to separate contributions by target interactions from those of cosmic rays. This separation is possible in experiments which use stacks of plastic nuclear track detectors. The yield of short range events generated by protons and measured in the detector can be calibrated from accelerator experimental data. We present first results for CR-39 detectors.     

Characterization of the near Earth radiation environment by Liulin type spectrometers

Comprehensive study of the dose, flux and deposited energy spectra shape data obtained by Liulin type spectrometers on spacecraft (five different experiments) and aircraft since 2001 is performed with the aim of understanding how well these parameters can characterize the type of predominant particles and their energy in the near Earth radiation environment. Three different methods for characterisation of the incoming radiation from Liulin spectrometers are described. The results revealed that the most informative one is by the shape of the deposited energy spectra. Spectra generated by Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) protons and their secondaries are with linear falling shape in the coordinates deposited energy/deposited per channel dose rate. The position of the maximum of the deposited energy spectra inside the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) region depends on the incident energy of the incoming protons. Spectra generated by relativistic electrons in the outer radiation belt have a maximum in the first channels. For higher energy depositions these spectra are similar to the GCR spectra. Mixed radiation by protons and electrons and/or bremsstrahlung is characterized by spectra with 2 maxima. All type of spectra has a knee close to 6.2 MeV deposited energy, which correspond to the stopping energy of protons in the detector. Dose to flux ratio known also as specific dose is another high information parameter, which is given by experimentally obtained formulae [Heffner, J. Nuclear radiation and safety in space. M. Atomizdat. 115, 1971 (in Russian)] connecting the dose to flux ratio and the incident energy of the particles.     

Nuclear model calculations and their role in space radiation research.

Proper assessments of spacecraft shielding requirements and concomitant estimates of risk to spacecraft crews from energetic space radiation requires accurate, quantitative methods of characterizing the compositional changes in these radiation fields as they pass through thick absorbers. These quantitative methods are also needed for characterizing accelerator beams used in space radiobiology studies. Because of the impracticality/impossibility of measuring these altered radiation fields inside critical internal body organs of biological test specimens and humans, computational methods rather than direct measurements must be used. Since composition changes in the fields arise from nuclear interaction processes (elastic, inelastic and breakup), knowledge of the appropriate cross sections and spectra must be available. Experiments alone cannot provide the necessary cross section and secondary particle (neutron and charged particle) spectral data because of the large number of nuclear species and wide range of energies involved in space radiation research. Hence, nuclear models are needed. In this paper current methods of predicting total and absorption cross sections and secondary particle (neutrons and ions) yields and spectra for space radiation protection analyses are reviewed. Model shortcomings are discussed and future needs presented.     

R3D-B2 – Measurement of ionizing and solar radiation in open space in the BIOPAN 5 facility outside the FOTON M2 satellite

Solar and space radiation have been monitored using the R3D-B2 radiation risks radiometer-dosimeter on board a recent space flight on the Russian satellite Foton M2 within the ESA Biopan 5 facility mounted on the outside of the satellite exposed to space conditions. The solar radiation has been assayed in four wavelength bands (UV-C, 170–280 nm, UV-B, 280–315 nm), UV-A (315–400 nm) and PAR (photosynthetic active radiation, 400–700 nm). The data show an increasing tumbling rotation of the satellite during the mission. The photodiodes do not show a cosine response to the incident light which has been corrected. After calibration of the signals using the extraterrestrial spectrum, doses have been calculated for each orbit, for each day and for the total mission as basic data for the biological material which has been exposed in parallel in the Biopan facility. Cosmic ionizing radiation has been monitored and separated in 256 deposited energy spectra, which were further used for determination of the absorbed dose rate and flux. Basic data tables were prepared to be used by other Biopan 5 experiments. The paper summarizes the results for the Earth radiation environment at the altitude (262–304 km) of the Foton M2 spacecraft. Comparisons with the predictions of NASA Earth radiation environment experimental models AE-8 and AP-8, and the PSB97 model are also presented, which calculate the fluxes of ionizing radiation from a simulation. AP-8 is a model for trapped radiation.     

利用质子强度变化对太阳质子事件进行短期预报方法初步研究

采用GOSE-10卫星4～9 MeV(P2),9～15 MeV(P3),15～40 MeV(P4),40～80 MeV(P5)能段上的质子通量数据,结合质子能谱,对太阳质子事件发生前各能谱参数的变化特征进行分析,详细介绍利用能谱参数的变化特征及能量E>10 MeV的质子通量数据对太阳质子事件进行预报的新方法,并运用这种方法对2002-2006年期间太阳质子事件进行了预报.预报结果显示,预报提前量最多达到100 h以上,对质子事件的报准率达97.5%,预报方法具备一定的有效性和实用性.     

Investigation of diurnal variations of cosmic ray fluxes measured with using ASEC and NMDB monitors

A study of daily variations of secondary Cosmic Rays (CR) is performed using data on charged and neutral CR fluxes. Particle detectors of Aragats Space-Environmental Center (ASEC), Space Environmental Viewing and Analysis Network (SEVAN) and neutron monitors of the Neutron Monitor Database (NMDB) are used. ASEC detectors continuously register various species of secondary CR with different threshold energies and incident angles. NMDB joins data of 12 Eurasian neutron monitors. Data at the beginning of the 24th solar activity cycle are used to avoid biases due to solar transient events and to establish a benchmark for the monitoring of solar activity in the new started solar cycle.