Dose variation during solar minimum

The authors use direct measurement of dose to show the variation in inner and outer radiation belt populations at low altitude from 1984 to 1987. This period includes the recent solar minimum that occurred in September 1986. The dose is measured behind four thicknesses of aluminum shielding and for two thresholds of energy deposition, designated HILET and LOLET. An average dose per day is calculated for each month of satellite operation. It is found that the average proton (HILET) dose per day (obtained primarily in the inner belt) increased systematically from 1984 to 1987, and has a high anticorrelation with sunspot number when offset by 13 months. The average LOLET dose per day behind the thinnest shielding is produced almost entirely by outer zone electrons and varies greatly over the period of interest. If any trend can be discerned over the 4 year period it is a decreasing one. For shielding of 1.5 gm/sq cm (227 mil) Al or more, the LOLET dose is complicated by contributions from greater than 100 MeV protons and bremsstrahlung.