| 1. |
- Casolino, M., et al.
(författare)
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Relative nuclear abundances inside ISS with Sileye-3/Alteino experiment
- 2006
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Ingår i: Advances in Space Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0273-1177 .- 1879-1948. ; 37:9, s. 1685-1690
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The experiment Sileye-3/Alteino was first operational on board the international Space Station between 27/4 and 1/5/2002. It is constituted of a cosmic ray silicon detector and an electroencephalograph and is used to monitor radiation environment and study the light flash phenomenon in space. As a stand-alone device, Sileye-3/Alteino can monitor in real time cosmic ray nuclei. In this work, we report on relative nuclear abundance measurements in different regions of the orbit for nuclei from B to Fe in the energy range above similar or equal to 60 Mev/n. Abundances of nuclei such as 0 and Ne relative to C are found to be increased in respect to particle composition outside of the station, whereas the Fe group is reduced. This effect could be ascribed to nuclear interactions with the hull of the station.
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| 2. |
- Sato, T., et al.
(författare)
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Evaluation of dose rate reduction in a spacecraft compartment due to additional water shield
- 2011
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Ingår i: Cosmic Research (English translation of Kosimicheskie Issledovaniya). - 0010-9525 .- 1608-3075. ; 49:4, s. 319-324
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The dose reduction rates brought about by the installation of additional water shielding in a spacecraft are calculated in the paper using the particles and heavy ion transport code system PHITS, which can deal with transport of all kinds of hadrons and heavy ions with energies up to 100 GeV/n in three-dimensional phase spaces. In the PHITS simulation, an imaginary spacecraft was irradiated isotropically by cosmic rays with charges up to 28 and energies up to 100 GeV/n, and the dose reduction rates due to water shielding were evaluated for 5 types of doses: the dose equivalents obtained from the LET and linear energy spectra, the dose equivalents to skin and red bone marrow, and the effective dose equivalent. The results of the simulation indicate that the dose reduction rates differ according to the type of dose evaluated. For example, 5 g/cm(2) water shielding reduces the effective dose equivalent and the LET dose equivalent by approximately 14% and 32%, respectively. Such degrees of dose reduction can be regarded to make water shielding worth the efforts required to install it.
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| 3. |
- Koliskova, Z., et al.
(författare)
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Simulations of absorbed dose on the phantom surface of MATROSHKA-R experiment at the ISS
- 2012
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Ingår i: Advances in Space Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 1879-1948 .- 0273-1177. ; 49:2, s. 230-236
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The health risks associated with exposure to various components of space radiation are of great concern when planning manned long-term interplanetary missions, such as future missions to Mars. Since it is not possible to measure the radiation environment inside of human organs in deep space, simulations based on radiation transport/interaction codes coupled to phantoms of tissue equivalent materials are used. However, the calculated results depend on the models used in the codes, and it is therefore necessary to verify their validity by comparison with measured data. The goal of this paper is to compare absorbed doses obtained in the MATROSHKA-R experiment performed at the International Space Station (ISS) with simulations performed with the three-dimensional Monte Carlo Particle and Heavy-Ion Transport code System (PHITS). The absorbed dose was measured using passive detectors (packages of thermoluminescent and plastic nuclear track detectors) placed on the surface of the spherical tissue equivalent phantom MATROSHKA-R, which was exposed aboard the ISS in the Service Zvezda Module from December 2005 to September 2006. The data calculated by PHITS assuming an ISS shielding of 3 g/cm(2) and 5 g/cm(2) aluminum mass thickness were in good agreement with the measurements. Using a simplified geometrical model of the ISS, the influence of variations in altitude and wall mass thickness of the ISS on the calculated absorbed dose was estimated. The uncertainties of the calculated data are also discussed; the relative expanded uncertainty of absorbed dose in phantom was estimated to be 44% at a 95% confidence level.
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| 4. |
- Ploc, Ondrej, 1979, et al.
(författare)
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PHITS simulations of the Protective curtain experiment onboard the Service module of ISS: Comparison with absorbed doses measured with TLDs
- 2013
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Ingår i: Advances in Space Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 1879-1948 .- 0273-1177. ; 52:11, s. 1911-1918
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- "Protective curtain" was the physical experiment onboard the International Space Station (ISS) aimed on radiation measurement of the dose - reducing effect of the additional shielding made of hygienic water-soaked wipes and towels placed on the wall in the crew cabin of the Service module Zvezda. The measurements were performed with 12 detector packages composed of thermoluminescent detectors (TLDs) and plastic nuclear track detectors (PNTDs) placed at the Protective curtain, so that they created pairs of shielded and unshielded detectors. We simulated the experiment by the general purpose 3D Monte Carlo Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS), as 10 cm-thick water-filled panels housed in a model of the Zvezda module. External radiation environment was modeled using the AP8MIN and ISO-15390 standard models for the trapped proton (TP) and galactic cosmic ray (GCR) spectra, respectively. The absorbed doses were calculated for all detector packages used in the experiment. Comparison of calculated results with experimental data (TLDs) showed good agreement for the total (TP+GCR) absorbed doses. Further, we analyzed the systematic uncertainty introduced by differences in the detector thicknesses used in the simulations from the ones used in the measurements. The reducing effect of the Protective curtain was studied by comparing the calculated absorbed doses in shielded and unshielded detectors separately for the TPs and GCRs. In case of TPs, the reducing effect was larger than 60% and 40% for pairs of detectors located at aluminum wall and at crew cabin window, respectively. In case of GCRs, small shielding effect was observed for detectors located behind the window but for those located behind the aluminum wall, the effect was even opposite: the absorbed doses in the unshielded detectors were about 10% lower than in the shielded ones. This result was confirmed by the depth-dose analysis using rectangular source emitting broad parallel incident particles impinging on the simple geometry composed of aluminum/glass box and water box of variable thickness simulating the spacecraft wall/window and Protective curtain, respectively. The additional dose in the shielded detectors is related to the secondary fragments known as the "wall effect". However, since GCR contributes by about 30% and 15% only to the total dose in water in shielded and unshielded detectors, respectively, the total shielding effect is high and the Protective curtain is very efficient when it is applied on a spacecraft at low-Earth orbits.
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| 5. |
- Puchalska, Monika, 1977, et al.
(författare)
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NUNDO: a numerical model of a human torso phantom and its application to effective dose equivalent calculations for astronauts at the ISS
- 2014
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Ingår i: Radiation and Environmental Biophysics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-2099 .- 0301-634X. ; 53:4, s. 719-727
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The health effects of cosmic radiation on astronauts need to be precisely quantified and controlled. This task is important not only in perspective of the increasing human presence at the International Space Station (ISS), but also for the preparation of safe human missions beyond low earth orbit. From a radiation protection point of view, the baseline quantity for radiation risk assessment in space is the effective dose equivalent. The present work reports the first successful attempt of the experimental determination of the effective dose equivalent in space, both for extra-vehicular activity (EVA) and intra-vehicular activity (IVA). This was achieved using the anthropomorphic torso phantom RANDO(A (R)) equipped with more than 6,000 passive thermoluminescent detectors and plastic nuclear track detectors, which have been exposed to cosmic radiation inside the European Space Agency MATROSHKA facility both outside and inside the ISS. In order to calculate the effective dose equivalent, a numerical model of the RANDO(A (R)) phantom, based on computer tomography scans of the actual phantom, was developed. It was found that the effective dose equivalent rate during an EVA approaches 700 mu Sv/d, while during an IVA about 20 % lower values were observed. It is shown that the individual dose based on a personal dosimeter reading for an astronaut during IVA results in an overestimate of the effective dose equivalent of about 15 %, whereas under an EVA conditions the overestimate is more than 200 %. A personal dosemeter can therefore deliver quite good exposure records during IVA, but may overestimate the effective dose equivalent received during an EVA considerably.
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| 6. |
- Sihver, Lembit, 1962, et al.
(författare)
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Radiation Environment at Aviation Altitudes and in Space
- 2015
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Ingår i: Radiation Protection Dosimetry. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0144-8420 .- 1742-3406. ; 164:4, s. 477-483
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- On the Earth, protection from cosmic radiation is provided by the magnetosphere and the atmosphere, but the radiation exposure increases with increasing altitude. Aircrew and especially space crew members are therefore exposed to an increased level of ionising radiation. Dosimetry onboard aircraft and spacecraft is however complicated by the presence of neutrons and high linear energy transfer particles. Film and thermoluminescent dosimeters, routinely used for ground-based personnel, do not reliably cover the range of particle types and energies found in cosmic radiation. Further, the radiation field onboard aircraft and spacecraft is not constant; its intensity and composition change mainly with altitude, geomagnetic position and solar activity (marginally also with the aircraft/spacecraft type, number of people aboard, amount of fuel etc.). The European Union Council directive 96/29/Euroatom of 1996 specifies that aircrews that could receive dose of >1 mSv y(-1) must be evaluated. The dose evaluation is routinely performed by computer programs, e.g. CARI-6, EPCARD, SIEVERT, PCAire, JISCARD and AVIDOS. Such calculations should however be carefully verified and validated. Measurements of the radiation field in aircraft are thus of a great importance. A promising option is the long-term deployment of active detectors, e.g. silicon spectrometer Liulin, TEPC Hawk and pixel detector Timepix. Outside the Earth's protective atmosphere and magnetosphere, the environment is much harsher than at aviation altitudes. In addition to the exposure to high energetic ionising cosmic radiation, there are microgravity, lack of atmosphere, psychological and psychosocial components etc. The milieu is therefore very unfriendly for any living organism. In case of solar flares, exposures of spacecraft crews may even be lethal. In this paper, long-term measurements of the radiation environment onboard Czech aircraft performed with the Liulin since 2001, as well as measurements and simulations of dose rates on and outside the International Space Station were presented. The measured and simulated results are discussed in the context of health impact.
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| 7. |
- Sihver, Lembit, 1962, et al.
(författare)
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Radiation environment onboard spacecraft at LEO and in deep space
- 2016
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Ingår i: IEEE Aerospace Conference Proceedings. - 1095-323X. - 9781467376761 ; 2016-June, s. Art. no 7500765-
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- It is well known that outside the Earth's protective atmosphere and magnetosphere, the environment is very harsh and unfriendly for any living organism, due to the micro gravity, lack of oxygen and protection from high energetic ionizing cosmic radiation, as well as from powerful solar energetic particles (SEPs). The space radiation exposure leads to increased health risks, including tumor lethality, circulatory diseases and damages on the central nervous systems. In case of SEP events, exposures of spacecraft crews may be lethal. Space radiation hazards are therefore recognized as a key concern for human space flight. For long-term interplanetary missions, they constitute a limiting factor since current protection limits might be approached or even exceeded. Better risk assessment requires knowledge of the radiation quality, as well as equivalent doses in critical radiosensitive organs, and different risk coefficient for different radiation caused illnesses and diseases must be developed. The use of human phantoms, simulating an astronaut's body, provides detailed information of the depth-dose distributions, and radiation quality, inside the human body. In this paper we will therefore review the major phantom experiments performed at Low Earth Orbits (LEO) [1]. However, the radiation environment in deep space is different from LEO. Based on fundamental physics principles, it is clear that hydrogen rich, light and neutron deficient materials have the best shielding properties against Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) [2,3]. It has also been shown [4,5] that water shielding material can reduce the dose from Trapped Particles (TP), the low energetic part of GCR, and from low energetic SEP events. However, the total dose from GCR, for moderate shielding thicknesses, is actually increasing when increasing the shielding thickness due to the buildup of secondary fragments, protons and neutrons [5]. Examples of promising shielding materials are polyethylene and hydrogen rich carbon composite materials. Nevertheless, not even these shielding materials have been proven to significantly reduce the radiation health risks compared to e.g. aluminum shielding due to the high energetic GCR particles, the created fragments, and the large radiobiological uncertainties in the GCR risk projection [6,7]. A better understanding of the radiobiological effects of GCR are therefore needed, as well as better cancer risk models, and models for estimating the risks for circulatory diseases and damages on the central nervous systems. To reduce the health risks, a combination of passive and active shielding might be a realistic option for long term interplanetary missions, in combination with means to minimizing the time in deep space and to perform the missions during solar maximum to minimize the flux of GCR. Suitable radioprotectors, e.g. agents that act directly to protect cellular component and oppose the action of radiation induced free radicals, and reactive oxygen species, as well as radiomitigators, e.g. agents that accelerate post-radiation recovery and prevent complications, could also be developed. There might also be a need to accept an increased risk for carcinogenesis than what is stated by current dose limits.
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| 8. |
- Sihver, Lembit, 1962, et al.
(författare)
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Simulations of th MTR-R and MTR Experiments at ISS, and Shielding Properties using PHITS
- 2009
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Ingår i: IEEE Aerospace Conference Proceedings. - 1095-323X. - 9781424426218
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Concerns about the biological effects of space radiation are increasing rapidly due to the perspective of long-duration manned missions, both in relation to the International Space Station (ISS) and to manned interplanetary missions to the Moon and Mars in the future. As a preparation for these long duration space missions it is important to ensure an excellent capability to evaluate the impact of space radiation on human health in order to secure the safety of the astronauts/cosmonauts and minimize their risks. It is therefore necessary to measure the radiation load on the personnel both inside and outside the space vehicles and certify that organ and tissue equivalent doses can be simulated as accurate as possible. In this paper we will present preliminary results from simulations, using the three-dimensional Monte Carlo Particle and Heavy Ions Transport code System (PHITS), of long term dose distribution measurements performed with the joint ESA-FSA experiment MATROSHKA-R (MTR-R) led by the Russian Federation Institute of Biomedical Problems (IMBP). MTR-R is a spherical phantom located inside the crew cabin of ISS. We also show some results from PHITS simulations of the ESA supported experiment MATROSHKA (MTR), which consists of an anthropomorphic phantom containing over 6000 radiation detectors, mimicking a human head and torso. The MTR experiment, led by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), was launched in January 2004 and has measured the absorbed dose from space radiation both inside and outside the ISS. In this paper preliminary comparisons of measurements outside the ISS will be presented. For the purpose of examining the applicability of PHITS to the shielding design, the absorbed doses and dose equivalents in a cylindrical phantom with tissue equivalent material inside an imaginary space vessel on a geostationary orbit at solar minimum has also been estimated for different shielding materials of different thicknesses. All the results indicate that PHITS is - a suitable tool when estimating radiation risks for humans on manned space missions and when performing shielding design studies of spacecraft.
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