Quantum dosimetry and online visualization of X-ray and charged particle radiation in commercial aircraft at operational flight altitudes with the pixel detector Timepix

We investigate the application of the hybrid semiconductor pixel detector Timepix for precise characterization, quantum sensitivity dosimetry and visualization of the charged particle radiation and X-ray field inside commercial aircraft at operational flight altitudes. The quantum counting capability and granularity of Timepix provides the composition and spectral-characteristics of the X-ray and charged-particle field with high sensitivity, wide dynamic range, high spatial resolution and particle type resolving power. For energetic charged particles the direction of trajectory and linear energy transfer can be measured. The detector is operated by the integrated readout interface FITPix for power, control and data acquisition together with the software package Pixelman for online visualization and real-time data processing. The compact and portable radiation camera can be deployed remotely being controlled simply by a laptop computer. The device performs continuous monitoring and accurate time-dependent measurements in wide dynamic range of particle fluxes, deposited energy, absorbed dose and equivalent dose rates. Results are presented for in-flight measurements at altitudes up to 12 km in various flights selected in the period 2006–2013.     

On the stabilizing effect of Solar Radiation Pressure in the Earth-Moon system

Solar sails change the natural dynamics of systems: Trajectories that are driven by gravitational forces can be displaced and changed because of the effect of Solar Radiation Pressure (SRP). Moreover, if the lightness number of the sail is large enough, the instability of certain orbits can be diminished and even removed. In this paper we modify two models for the motion of a probe in the Earth-Moon system that include the effect of Sun’s gravity to take also into account the effect of SRP. These models, the Bicircular Problem (BCP) and the Quasi-Bicircular Problem (QBCP), are periodic perturbations of the Earth-Moon Restricted Three Body Problem (RTBP). The models are modified to consider the effect of the SRP upon a solar sail. We provide examples of periodic orbits that are stabilized (or made less unstable) due to the effect of SRP.     

Charge exchange interactions on near-Earth proton radiation for orbit perturbation of high area-to-mass ratio objects

This novel concept expels neutral gas in the presence of geomagnetically-trapped protons in near-Earth orbit. The expelled neutral gas acts to induce charge exchange collisions with the geomagnetically-trapped protons and induce drag on objects which pass through it. The charge exchange collisions between the neutral gas and the geomagnetically-trapped protons create neutrals with similar kinetic energy that are not confined by the geomagnetic field. The charge exchange neutrals are able to collide with orbital objects and perturb their orbits. The delta-v applied by the charge exchange neutral flux is greatest on high area-to-mass objects. Numerical simulation shows charge exchange neutral impacts produce a delta-v on objects on the order of 3.8 x 10⁻¹¹ m/s at a distance of 1 km from the center of the expelled gas in a 1,000 km orbit. The impulse imparted by charge exchange neutral impacts is at least six orders of magnitude smaller than that provided by the induced drag caused by gas expulsion. The localized drag increase can force a majority of small objects into the orbit of the expelled gas cloud, even if that orbit is retrograde to the initial orbit of the objects. This new technique can be applied to the remediation of space debris.     

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.     

A space radiation shielding model of the Martian radiation environment experiment (MARIE)

The 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft was launched towards Mars on April 7, 2001. Onboard the spacecraft is the Martian radiation environment experiment (MARIE), which is designed to measure the background radiation environment due to galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and solar protons in the 20–500 MeV/n energy range. We present an approach for developing a space radiation-shielding model of the spacecraft that includes the MARIE instrument in the current mapping phase orientation. A discussion is presented describing the development and methodology used to construct the shielding model. For a given GCR model environment, using the current MARIE shielding model and the high-energy particle transport codes, dose rate values are compared with MARIE measurements during the early mapping phase in Mars orbit. The results show good agreement between the model calculations and the MARIE measurements as presented for the March 2002 dataset.     

旋转形导体上任意取向线天线辐射场的探讨

对任意旋转平滑形导体上任意取向的线天线所辐射的扬进行探讨。采用了矩量法和傅里叶分析法,给出了导体感应电流谐量表示式,由此可求辐射场。进而以球体上任意取向赫芝振子为例求出辐射场,并与经典法公式计算结果比较,两者一致。     

环绕式微带共形天线辐射特性的研究

基于腔模理论和等效原理推导出环绕式微带共形天线远区场的表达式。根据该表达式算得的TM_(01)模天线方向图在相对介电常数较小时与文献〔3〕的结果相吻合。同时还研完了圆柱半径对天线方向图的影响。     

辐射器展开角度对航天器热控能力影响的研究

为了在有限的结构尺寸下提高航天器热控系统的散热能力,提出与流体回路耦合的可展开式辐射器热控方案,建立可展开式辐射器空间散热模型,分析辐射器不同展开角度下系统的热控特性。结果表明,随着辐射器展开角度的变化,辐射器吸收的空间热流也随之发生变化,并最终决定热控回路的流量分配。在工程应用中,基于热控流体回路,通过调节可展开式辐射器的展开角度,可以有效提高航天器热控系统的能力范围。     

固定发射率辐射温度计校准中的温度修正计算方法

主要对固定发射率的辐射温度计在校准时如何进行发射率偏差引起的温度修正值的计算方法进行了讨论。针对一般的修正计算涉及到在工作波段内对Planck公式进行复杂的积分运算,提出了引入有效波长的处理方法,大大简化了修正计算过程。在用有效波长对较宽波段(例如8μm~14μm)进行处理时发现,对于宽波段,同样也存在着一个有效波长,用该有效波长替代复杂的波段积分计算,可以使得对该波段的研究计算简化。采用有效波长的处理方法与积分处理方法相比较,处理结果符合性很好,证明了引入有效波长概念的处理方法是正确的。