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.     

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。     

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。     

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。