Developing Benchmarks for Ionizing Radiation
Abstract
Changes in the near-Earth radiation environment can affect satellite operations, astronauts in space, commercial space activities, and the radiation environment on aircraft at relevant latitudes or altitudes. Understanding the diverse effects of increased radiation is challenging, but producing ionizing radiation benchmarks will help address these effects. The following areas have been considered in addressing the near-Earth radiation environment: the Earth's trapped radiation belts, the galactic cosmic ray background, and solar energetic-particle events. The radiation benchmarks attempt to account for any change in the near-Earth radiation environment, which, under extreme cases, could present a significant risk to critical infrastructure operations or human health. The goal of these ionizing radiation benchmarks and associated confidence levels will define at least the radiation intensity as a function of time, particle type, and energy for the following event-occurrence rate and intensity level:
An occurrence frequency of 1 in 100 years; and An intensity level at the theoretical maximum for the event. The benchmarks address radiation levels at all applicable altitudes and latitudes in the near-Earth environment, and all benchmarks will state the assumptions made and the associated uncertainties.- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016AGUFMPA13E..03T
- Keywords:
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- 4305 Space weather;
- NATURAL HAZARDSDE: 7954 Magnetic storms;
- SPACE WEATHERDE: 7964 Policy;
- SPACE WEATHERDE: 7974 Solar effects;
- SPACE WEATHER