Utilization of CAM,CAF, MAX,and FAX for space radiation analyses using HZETRN

To estimate astronaut health risk due to space radiation, one must have the ability to calculate various exposure-related quantities that are averaged over specific organs and tissue types. Such calculations require computational models of the ambient space radiation environment, particle transport, nuclear and atomic physics, and the human body. While significant efforts have been made to verify, validate, and quantify the uncertainties associated with many of these models and tools, relatively little work has focused on the uncertainties associated with the representation and utilization of the human phantoms. In this study, we first examine the anatomical properties of the Computerized Anatomical Man (CAM), Computerized Anatomical Female (CAF), Male Adult voXel (MAX), and Female Adult voXel (FAX) models by comparing the masses of various model tissues used to calculate effective dose to the reference values specified by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). The MAX and FAX tissue masses are found to be in good agreement with the reference data, while major discrepancies are found between the CAM and CAF tissue masses and the reference data for almost all of the effective dose tissues. We next examine the distribution of target points used with the deterministic transport code HZETRN (High charge (Z) and Energy TRaNsport) to compute mass averaged exposure quantities. A numerical algorithm is presented and used to generate multiple point distributions of varying fidelity for many of the effective dose tissues identified in CAM, CAF, MAX, and FAX. The point distributions are used to compute mass averaged dose equivalent values under both a galactic cosmic ray (GCR) and solar particle event (SPE) environment impinging isotropically on three spherical aluminum shells with areal densities of 0.4 g/cm², 2.0 g/cm², and 10.0 g/cm². The dose equivalent values are examined to identify a recommended set of target points for each of the tissues and to further assess the differences between CAM, CAF, MAX, and FAX. It is concluded that the previously published CAM and CAF point distributions were significantly under-sampled and that the set of point distributions presented here should be adequate for future studies involving CAM, CAF, MAX, or FAX. It is also found that the errors associated with the mass and location of certain tissues in CAM and CAF have a significant impact on the mass averaged dose equivalent values, and it is concluded that MAX and FAX are more accurate than CAM and CAF for space radiation analyses.     

Estimation of Galactic Cosmic Ray exposure inside and outside the Earth’s magnetosphere during the recent solar minimum between solar cycles 23 and 24

The evidently low solar activity observed between solar cycles 23 and 24 during the years 2008–2010 led to a substantial increase in the Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) intensity in comparison with preceding solar minima. As the GCRs consist of highly-ionizing charged particles having the potential to cause biological damage, they are a subject of concern for manned missions to space. With the enhanced particle fluxes observed between 2008 and 2010, it is reasonable to assume that the radiation exposure from GCR must have also increased to unusually high levels. In this paper, the GCR exposure outside and inside the Earth’s magnetosphere is numerically calculated for time periods starting from 1970 to the end of 2011 in order to investigate the increase in dose levels during the years 2008–2010 in comparison with the last three solar minima. The dose rates were calculated in a water sphere, used as a surrogate for the human body, either unshielded or surrounded by aluminium shielding of 0.3, 10 or 40 g/cm².     

星敏感器用典型CCD探测器电离总剂量效应研究

用自建的工程单机对星敏感器用核心器件CCD的电离总剂量效应进行了研究,给出了不同辐照剂量下辐照前后图像灰度、标准差等反映CCD拍摄图像质量的参数变化。研究表明：CCD对电离总剂量效应较敏感,辐照会引起输出图像灰度和标准差变大,导致图像质量下降、信噪比降低,最终影响探测器的成像效果。     

光电耦合器件在低地球轨道航天器中的运用评估

不同种类光电耦合器件(光耦)结构工艺对空间总剂量辐射的敏感性存在较大差异,故对其在航天器的使用应区别对待。文章分别对组成常见光耦的LED部分、光电耦合部分以及集成放大电路部分受电离总剂量辐射和位移损伤效应的影响进行分析,比较了光耦各个组成部分和不同工艺的光耦对辐射的敏感度。在地面辐照测试数据基础上,以3种典型光耦为原型,设计在轨验证电路,对器件在辐射环境下的长期工作情况进行了试验验证。结果表明,在适当的参数选择和合理的电路设计下,这些光耦能够满足低地球轨道航天领域的应用需求。     

火星载人探测中辐射防护综述

火星探测是人类太空探索的重要组成部分,火星载人探测中航天员的辐射安全问题是人们最为关心的问题。文章扼要介绍了美国/俄罗斯火星载人探测技术的发展过程,重点阐述了探测中的辐射环境、辐射效应以及国外探测结果;在此基础上,对火星探测中的辐射剂量进行了预示,提出了辐射防护建议。     

法拉第简法校准丙氨酸对质子吸收剂量技术研究

从低能质子入手,采用基于法拉第简的质子吸收剂量校准方法,满足空间辐射对质子吸收剂量的校准需求。建立了一套法拉第筒法对薄膜剂量计的质子吸收剂量校准系统,该系统由束斑观测单元、束流散射单元、束流监测单元、旋转靶室以及法拉第筒探测单元组成,同时开展了法拉第筒法对丙氨酸薄膜剂量计的质子吸收剂量校准技术研究。     

Space weather and commercial airlines

Space weather phenomena can effect many areas of commercial airline operations including avionics, communications and GPS navigation systems. Of particular importance at present is the recently introduced EU legislation requiring the monitoring of aircrew radiation exposure, including any variations at aircraft altitudes due to solar activity. With the introduction of new ultra-long-haul “over-the-pole” routes, “more-electric” aircraft in the future, and the increasing use of satellites in the operation, the need for a better understanding of the space weather impacts on future airline operations becomes all the more compelling. This paper will present the various space weather effects, some provisional results of an ongoing 3-year study to monitor cosmic radiation in aircraft, and conclude by summarising some of the identified key operational issues, which must be addressed, with the help of the science community, if the airlines want to benefit from the availability of space weather services.     

Charged particles on the Earth–Jupiter–Europa spacecraft trajectory

Charged particle fluxes on the trajectory of future Russian space research mission to Jupiter and its satellite Europa are investigated. The existing experimental data and models of Jupiter’s main magnetic field and radiation belts are summarized. Preliminary results of computations of energetic particle fluxes and radiation doses for each stage of the flight are given. Special attention is paid to estimation of radiation conditions in Europa’s orbit and on its surface; influence of the satellite on spatial distribution of the fluxes of charged particles of various energies is studied.     

高稳定正弦交流稳流源的研究

为了对电能进行高准确度的测量，需要有高稳定的电源装置，稳定交流电源可采用负反馈控制系统，但易产生自激。如在反馈系统中加入一含有延时环节的负反馈，可以解决系统闭环稳定性与开环增益之间的矛盾。     

载人航天器密封舱内生物剂量三维仿真技术

对载人航天器密封舱内航天员遭受的生物剂量进行研究分析,可为乘员辐射防护设计和工程实施提供依据。文章将基于一维深度-剂量计算、结合扇区射线法的三维辐射仿真技术运用于载人航天器总体设计中,以某中期驻留载人航天器为例,构建生物剂量仿真分析模型。计算实例分析表明,三维剂量仿真结果可有效指导乘员辐射防护优化设计,对后续长期载人飞行中的航天员辐射安全设计具有较强的实用性。