A Small Active Dosimeter for Applications in Space

Abstract

The radiation field in low Earth orbits (LEO) differs significantly from the radiation environment on Earth's surface. Exposures are by far higher and pose an additional health risk for astronauts. Continuous monitoring is therefore a necessary task in the frame of radiation protection measures. A small battery-driven active dosimeter telescope based on silicon detectors meeting the requirements for LEO applications has been developed. The instrument, the Mobile Dosimetric Telescope (MDT), is designed to measure the absorbed dose rate and the linear energy transfer (LET) spectra. From the latter the mean quality factor of the radiation field can be derived and hence an estimate of the dose equivalent as a measure of the exposure. The calibration of the device is done using radioactive isotopes and heavy ions. Fragmentation products of heavy ions are used to show the ability of the MDT to reliably detect energy depositions from high energetic nuclei. Radiation measurements inside aircraft during long distance flights, serving as field tests of the instrument, prove the good performance of the instrument.