New Dosimeters For Solar-Flare Radiations

From the extensive investigations carried out since 1992 with the dosimetric ANPA-stack on 107 long-haul flights, it is possible to conclude that the cumulative dose per flight on a given route changes within less than 20% among different repeated routes, two different aircrafts (Boeings 747 and 767), and among different locations within the aircraft. In contrast to galactic cosmic rays, solar-flare radiation is totally unpredictable and extremely variable in terms of energy spectrum, intensity, direction, duration and starting time.Most of the dosimetric systems used to date for the galactic cosmic rays may not be appropriate for solar-flare-radiation dosimetry. For this reason, different dosimetric systems have been investigated for both the retrospective and prospective dosimetry of solar flares. While waiting for the rare solar flare to occur, these dosimetric systems could be used for the validation of the computer-estimated route doses and/or for dosimetry in space, where frequent measurements of solar-flare events are needed. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.