Ionizing Radiation in Earth's Atmosphere and in Space Near Earth

Details

• Creators:
  Friedberg, Wallace ; Copeland, Kyle
• Corporate Creators:
  United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration. Civil Aerospace Medical Institute
• Corporate Contributors:
  United States. Office of Aerospace Medicine
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Ionizing radiation
  • Cosmic rays
  • Outer space
  • Astronomical phenomena
  • Radiation hazards
  • Airspace (Aeronautics) Ionizing radiation, Cosmic radiation, Radioactive contamination, Space weather, Geomagnetism, Radiation exposure limits, Flight doses, Radiation health risks
• Publication/ Report Number:
  DOT/FAA/AM-11/9
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Corporate Publisher:
  United States. Office of Aerospace Medicine
• Abstract:
  The Civil Aerospace Medical Institute of the FAA is charged with identifying health hazards in air travel and in ; commercial human space travel. This report addresses one of these hazards – ionizing radiation. ; Ionizing radiation is a subatomic particle of matter or packet of energy (photon) with sufficient energy to eject an ; orbital electron from an atom. Charged subatomic particles from exploding stars (supernovae) are a constant ; source of ionizing radiation in the atmosphere and in space. In space another constant source of ionizing ; radiation is the solar wind from the Sun. The solar wind consists mostly of electrons and protons with energies ; between 10 and 100 keV. The Sun undergoes an approximately 11-year cycle of rise and decline in activity and ; during its active phase there is an increased emission of the solar wind and occasional eruptions of high-energy ; particles (coronal mass ejections). Other sources of ionizing radiation during air travel include radioactive cargo, ; radioactive substances released into the atmosphere as a result of a nuclear reactor accident or terrorist activity, ; lightning, and terrestrial gamma-ray flashes. ; A health effect following exposure to ionizing radiation for which the severity is radiation dose related is called a ; deterministic effect (non-stochastic effect, tissue reaction). Deterministic effects may occur soon after radiation ; exposure. For example, nausea and vomiting might be experienced by a space traveler a few hours after receiving ; a large dose of ionizing radiation while outside a space vehicle during a coronal mass ejection. ; If the probability (risk) of a health effect after exposure to ionizing radiation is dose related, it is called a ; stochastic effect. Such effects seldom occur until years after the radiation exposure. Examples of stochastic effects ; are cancer and genetic disorders. If one or both parents are irradiated prior to conceiving a child, there is a risk of ; genetic disorders in the child and in its progeny. ; The report can be used as a source book for instruction on ionizing radiation exposure of air and space travelers.
  More +
• Format:
  PDF
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/20607/dot_20607_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 799.99 KB]
• Collection(s):
  FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute ; US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:80ad9be6cc884e1d9bbedf55ca4d470b1848dde6efd91c53637e6bc1f99eb7e1ba87bac6e53296f812d3ca32e620c4da847b64588175cb8450c13bdf7226c362