Radiation Protection in Aviation

Kurzfassung

The lecture gives an overview of the complex interdisciplinary area of radiation protection in aviation, which comprises biomedical, legislative, physical and practical aspects. The radiation exposure at aviation altitudes is the result of cosmic rays generated by interactions of primary high-energy particles of cosmic origin with atoms in upper layers of the Earth’s atmosphere. The intensity of the corresponding radiation field, which aircrew members are exposed to, depends on barometric altitude, geomagnetic latitude, and solar activity. The influence of solar activity, i.e., Space Weather (SWx), varies within an 11-year cycle, the minimum of which corresponds to the highest radiation exposure at aviation altitudes due to the reduced shielding of the galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) by the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), which is modulated by the solar wind, i.e., the solar activity. Furthermore, solar particle events (SPEs), which are often referred to as solar flares in aviator’s jargon, can temporarily generate significant changes, i.e., increases or decreases, in the corresponding dose rates at aviation altitudes. Dose monitoring and recording of the radiation exposure of crew members have been obligatory in Germany since legislation based on the EU Directive 96/29/EURATOM became effective. The corresponding EU directive stipulates basic standards for the radiation protection of aircrews that are regarded as radiation workers due to their exposure to cosmic rays. The effects of SPEs on the radiation field at aviation altitudes are demonstrated with a case study of two Ground Level Enhancements (GLE 65 & GLE 66), which took place during the Halloween solar storms. The lecture concludes with a brief overview of the essential results of the Atlantic Kiss mission (cf. #AtlanticKiss).