Use of energy deposition spectrometer Liulin for individual monitoring of aircrew

• Published in: Radiation protection dosimetry Vol. 144; no. 1-4; p. 611
• Main Authors: Ploc, O, Pachnerová Brabcová, K, Spurny, F, Malušek, A, Dachev, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.03.2011
• Subjects: Aircraft; Algorithms; Calibration; Cosmic Radiation; Czech Republic; Humans; Models, Statistical; Neutrons; Particle Accelerators; Radiation Dosage; Radiation Monitoring - instrumentation; Radiation Monitoring - methods; Radiation Protection - instrumentation; Radiation Protection - methods; Silicon - chemistry; Silicon Dioxide - chemistry; Spacecraft; Spectrum Analysis - instrumentation; Spectrum Analysis - methods; Czech Republic
• ISSN: 1742-3406
• DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncq505

Silicon energy deposition spectrometer Liulin was primarily developed for cosmic radiation monitoring onboard spacecrafts. Nowadays, Liulin type detectors are also used to characterise radiation field on board aircraft, at alpine observatories and behind the shielding of heavy ion accelerators. In this work, experiments and calibrations performed in these radiation fields are presented and the method developed for calculation of ambient dose equivalent H*(10) on board aircraft is described. Since 2001, a simple method employing the energy deposition spectra had been used to determine H*(10) on board aircraft but, in 2004, it became clear that the resulting values were strongly biased at locations close to Earth's equator. An improved method for the determination of H*(10) on board aircraft using the Liulin detector was developed. It took into account the composition of the radiation field via the ratio of absorbed doses D(low) and D(neut) reflecting the contributions from low-LET particles and neutrons, respectively. It resulted in much better agreement with the EPCARD computer code for all aircraft locations; relative differences were within 11 % for low-LET and 20 % for neutron components of H*(10).