Ts.P. Dachev

Calibration results obtained with Liulin-4 type dosimeters.

The Mobile Radiation Exposure Control Systems (Liulin-4 type) main purpose is to monitor simultaneously the doses and fluxes at 4 independent places. It can also be used for personnel dosimetry. The system consists of 4 battery-operated 256-channel dosimeters-spectrometers. We describe results obtained during the calibrations of the spectrometers at the Cyclotron facilities of the University of Louvain, Belgium and of the National Institute of Radiological Sciences-STA, Chiba, Japan with protons of energies up to 70 MeV. The angular sensitivities of the devices are studied and compared with Monte-Carlo predictions. We also present the results obtained at the HIMAC accelerator with 500 MeV/u Fe ions and at the CERN high energy radiation reference fields. Records made during airplane flights are shown and compared with the predictions of the CARI-6 model.

Long-term monitoring of the onboard aircraft exposure level with a Si-diode based spectrometer

The radiation fields onboard aircraft are complex (EURADOS, 1996), and several methods are used to characterise them for radiation protection. We have tested a spectrometer based on Si-diode at different sources and accelerator facilities. The energy deposited in the diode is analysed to estimate the contribution of different radiations to dosimetry quantities. The spectrum of energy deposition events onboard aircraft is similar to that registered in the CERN high-energy reference field. We used this similarity to determine the correction factors to appreciate radiation protection quantities from the results of onboard measurements. During 2001-2002, the spectrometer was used to acquire measurements onboard commercial aircraft during five long-term exposures. All necessary flight parameters were acquired; thus permitting calculations of the onboard effective dose and/or ambient dose equivalent by means of both the CARI 6 and the EPCARD codes and comparison with the results of the measurements. It was found that the apparent ambient dose equivalent values from measured data are in reasonable agreement with the results of calculations. Quantitative analysis of this agreement as a function of flight parameters (geomagnetic position, solar activity variations, etc.) is presented. During one flight, an important solar event (GLE 60 on 15 April 2001) was recorded by the spectrometer. In some other cases the measurements during a Forbush decreases were acquired. These extremes were well registered by the equipment and the data obtained are analyzed.

Solar cycle variations of MIR radiation environment as observed by the LIULIN dosimeter.

Measurements on board the MIR space station by the Bulgarian-Russian dosimeter LIULIN have been used to study the solar cycle variations of the radiation environment. The fixed locations of the instrument in the MIR manned compartment behind 6-15 g/cm2 of shielding have given homogeneous series of particle fluxes and doses measurements to be collected during the declining phase of 22nd solar cycle between September 1989 and April 1994. During the declining phase of 22nd solar cycle the GCR (Galactic Cosmic Rays) flux observed at L>4 (where L is the McIlwain parameter) has enhanced from 0.6-0.7 cm-2 s-1 up to 1.4-1.6 cm-2 s-1. The long-term observations of the trapped radiation can be summarized as follows: the main maximum of the flux and dose rate is located at the southeast side of the geomagnetic field minimum of South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) at L=1.3-1.4. Protons depositing few (nGy cm2)/particle in the detector predominantly populate this region. At practically the same spatial location and for similar conditions the dose rate rises up from 480 to 1470 microGy/h dose in silicon in the 1990-1994 time interval, during the declining phase of the solar cycle. On the other hand the flux rises from 35 up to 115 cm-2 s-1 for the same period of time. A power law dependence was extracted which predicts that when the total neutral density at the altitude of the station decreases from 8x10(-15) to 6x10(-16) g/cm3 the dose increase from about 200 microGy/h up to 1200 microGy/h. At the same time the flux increase from about 30 cm-2 s-1 up to 120 cm-2 s-1. The AP8 model predictions give only 5.8% increase of the flux for the same conditions.

Liulin-type spectrometry-dosimetry instruments

The main purpose of Liulin-type spectrometry-dosimetry instruments (LSDIs) is cosmic radiation monitoring at the workplaces. An LSDI functionally is a low mass, low power consumption or battery-operated dosemeter. LSDIs were calibrated in a wide range of radiation fields, including radiation sources, proton and heavy-ion accelerators and CERN-EC high-energy reference field. Since 2000, LSDIs have been used in the scientific programmes of four manned space flights on the American Laboratory and ESA Columbus modules and on the Russian segment of the International Space Station, one Moon spacecraft and three spacecraft around the Earth, one rocket, two balloons and many aircraft flights. In addition to relative low price, LSDIs have proved their ability to qualify the radiation field on the ground and on the above-mentioned carriers.

Peculiarities of the solar proton events of 19 October 1989 and 23 March 1991 according to the measurements onboard the Mir space station

Flux and dose rate dynamics of solar cosmic rays were measured by the Lyulin dosimeter during the events 19 October 1989 and 23 March 1991. The maximum dose rate registered was 0.4, 0.12 and 0.01 cGy/hour, respectively. Based on the latitude distribution of particle flux a power law form for the energy spectra of solar protons in the anisotropic phase of the events on 19 October 1989 and 23 March 1991 was determined. It was obtained that after the development of geomagnetic storm protons with energies more than 1 GeV were registered.

Increase of solar cosmic rays on the “MIR” space station in orbit during September–October 1989

Abstract An increase in flux and dose rate on the MIR space station caused by solar cosmic rays (SCR) was registered in September–October 1989. This article contains the measurement results, carried out by the “Lyulin” dosimeter and the “Ryabina” radiometer. It is shown that on 29 September 1989 the event per day averaged dose exceeded the background level ten times, while on a number of orbits the dose rate increased more than 50 times. Time behavior of the integral dose agrees well with the dynamics of SCR fluxes measured on the “GOES-7” satellite. On the basis of the proton flux distribution along the space station trajectory, the proton spectrum shape in the range above 1 GV was estimated. It turned out that exponential law is a good approximation of this spectrum. The characteristic rigidity in this law varies from 0.65 GV in an initial moment to 0.35 GV in an isotropic period of an SCR flux.

The dose rate observed on 19–21 October 1989 and its modulation by geophysical effects

The Liulin dosimeter-radiometer on the MIR space station detected the 19 October 1989 high energy solar proton event. These results show that the main particle increase contains protons with energies up to about 9 GeV. After the main particle onset the Liulin dosimeter observed a typical geomagnetic cutoff modulation of the dose rate from the solar particles as the MIR space station traversed magnetic latitudes. When the interplanetary shock and associated solar plasma enveloped the earth on 20 October between 14 and 17 UT the radiation exposure increased significantly due to the lowering of the geomagnetic cutoff. The analysis of this event shows how various geophysical phenomena can significantly modulate the dose rate encountered by earth-orbiting spacecraft.

Characterization of the radiation environment by Liulin-type spectrometers.

Liulin-type spectrometers can characterise the type of predominant particles and their energy in the radiation environment. The results from calibrations and space and aircraft experiments revealed that the most informative is by the shape of the deposited energy spectrum. Spectra generated by galactic cosmic rays (GCR) protons and their secondaries look like straight lines in the coordinates deposited energy/deposited per channel dose rate. The position of the maximum of the deposited energy spectra 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. All types of spectra have a knee close to 6.3 MeV of deposited energy, which corresponds to the stopping energy of protons in the detector.

Experimental investigations of quasistable radiation belts formed after solar proton events in September–October 1989 and March 1991 based on measurements made by “Liulin” dosimeter-radiometer on board the “MIR” space station

Abstract Since 1988 high sensitivity dosimeter-radiometer “Liulin” has been installed on board the MIR space station. Device measured absorbed dose rate and flux of penetrating particles. Results of measurements showed that after powerful solar proton events (SPE) September–October, 1989 and March, 1991 additional quasistable radiation belts were formed in the near earth space within the interval L=1.8−3.0. These “new” belts were observed as an additional maximums in flux (and sometimes dose) channels when crossing the SAA region. “New” belts were quasi stable and existed at least several months, decaying slightly after SPE. Dose to flux ratio analysis showed that major components of these belts were energetic electrons and protons arising in connection with preceding SPEs.

Satellite observations of OII (7320-7330 Å) emission in Aurora

Abstract Photometric measurements obtained by the IC-Bulgaria-1300 satellite during 1981 and 1982 have been used to study the characteristics of the OII (7320–7330 A) emission in aurora. The I(7320) I(4278) emission rate ratio is found to increase in a systematic way with increasing I(5577) I(4278) . This is interpreted as arising from a correlation with the atomic oxygen concentration. The I(7320) I(4278) ratio also changes with electron mean energy, but for typical nightside electron energy spectra the changes are less important than those caused by changes in neutral composition.