Gamma radiation survey of the LDEF spacecraft

Details Gamma radiation survey of the LDEF spacecraft Gamma radiation survey of the LDEF spacecraft

Jun 1991

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1991ldef.symp...12p&link_type=abstract

In NASA, Langley Research Center, First LDEF Post-Retrieval Symposium Abstracts p 12 (SEE N91-24972 16-99)

Other

Beryllium Isotopes, Cosmic Rays, Gamma Rays, Long Duration Exposure Facility, Radiation Effects, Radioactivity, Aerospace Vehicles, Large Space Structures, Leading Edges, Manganese Isotopes, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sodium 22, Spacecraft Components, Spallation

Scientific paper

The retrieval of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) spacecraft after nearly 6 years in orbit offered a unique opportunity to study the long term buildup of induced radioactivity in the variety of materials on board. The first complete gamma ray survey was conducted of a large spacecraft on LDEF shortly after its return to Earth. A surprising observation was the large Be-7 activity which was seen primarily on the leading edge of the satellite, implying that it was picked up by LDEF in orbit. This is the first known evidence for accretion of a radioactive isotope onto an orbiting spacecraft. Other isotopes seen during the survey, the strongest being Na-22 and Mn-54, are all attributed to activation of spacecraft components in orbit. Be-7 is a spallation product of cosmic rays on nitrogen and oxygen in the upper atmosphere. However, the observed density is much greater than expected due to cosmic ray production in situ. This implies transport of Be-7 from much lower altitudes up to the LDEF orbit.

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