Mathematics – Logic
Scientific paper
May 2004
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004agusm.u43a..06z&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Spring Meeting 2004, abstract #U43A-06
Mathematics
Logic
0360 Transmission And Scattering Of Radiation, 2104 Cosmic Rays, 2118 Energetic Particles, Solar
Scientific paper
Ionizing radiation in space presents a potentially serious health hazard to astronauts on long-duration missions. Missions that take humans outside the geomagnetosphere (which provides significant shielding for crews in low-Earth orbit) are of particular concern. A mission to Mars would expose a crew to a substantial radiation dose from high-energy heavy ions in the Galactic Cosmic Radiation (GCR). Though not expected to cause acute effects, such exposures might endanger the long-term health of crewmembers, leading to increased risk of late effects such as cancer and cataract. Since the biological effects of these ions are not well understood, NASA cannot yet specify career limits for deep-space missions. While ground-based research in radiobiology continues, it is necessary to characterize the radiation field on the Martian surface. This is determined by the radiation incident on the top of the Martian atmosphere, the transmission properties of the atmosphere, and the production of secondary particles (neutrons in particular) in the upper part of the surface. The Martian Radiation Environment Experiment (MARIE), aboard the 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft, has returned the first detailed measurements of the radiation field incident on the atmosphere. MARIE consists of a stack of silicon charged-particle detectors, designed to measure the nearly-constant flux of energetic Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) and intermittent Solar Particle Events (SPE). The detector is optimized for the detection of solar protons and helium in the energy range from 30 to 75 MeV/nucleon, though higher energies and heavier ions are also detected. Despite considerable uncertainties in data normalization, the measured dose agrees with model calculations, to an accuracy well within the (conservatively) estimated errors. As of this writing (Feb. 2004), MARIE is off, having sustained damage during the large Solar Particle Event of Oct. 29, 2003. Attempts to recover the instrument will resume in the near future. If MARIE cannot be recovered, other instruments aboard Odyssey are sensitive to energetic charged particles and can be used to continue Odyssey's radiation monitoring program. We will report on the status of these efforts, in addition to giving an overview of the 20 months of MARIE data that were successfully recorded.
Andersen Victor
Atwell William
Cleghorn Timothy Fuller
Cucinotta Francis A.
Lee Timothy K.
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