Radiation environment at high-mountainsstations and onboard spacecraft

摘要

Radiation environment has been studied at high-mountain observatories and onboardspacecraft. The most important contribution to this environment at high-mountain observatoriesrepresents cosmic radiation component. We have been studied this environment in two high-mountain observatories: one situated on the top of Lomnicky Stit, High Tatras, Slovakia, andanother one close to the top of Moussala, Rila, Bulgaria (Basic Environment Observatory - BEO).The studies have been performed using: an energy deposition spectrometer with a Si-diode (MDU)developed at BAS, Sofia, permitting to estimate non-neutron as well as neutron component of theradiation field; other active equipment designated to measure natural radiation background, andthermoluminescent detectors as passive dosimeters. Basic dosimetry characteristics of these fieldsare presented, analyzed, and discussed; they are also compared with the estimation of cosmicradiation component as published in the Report of UNSCEAR 2000. Measuring instrumentsmentioned above, together with an LET spectrometer based on chemically etched track detectorshave been also used to characterize radiation environment onboard spacecraft, particularlyInternational Space Station. They have been exposed on the surface and/or inside a phantom.Some of results obtained are presented, and discussed.