Models of the radiation environment in free space and in near earth orbits are required to estimate the radiation dose to the astronauts for Mars, Space Shuttle, and the International Space Station missions, and to estimate the rate of single event upsets and latch-ups in electronic devices. Accurate knowledge of the environment is critical for the design of optimal shielding during both the cruise phase and for a habitat on Mars or the Moon. Measurements of the energy spectra of galactic cosmic rays (GCR) have been made for nearly four decades. In the last decade, models have been constructed that can predict the energy spectra of any GCR nuclei to an accuracy of better than 25%. Fresh and more accurate measurements have been made in the last year. These measurements can lead to more accurate models. Improvements in these models can be made in determining the local interstellar spectra and in predicting the level of solar modulation. It is the coupling of the two that defines a GCR model. This paper reviews of two of the more widely used models, and a comparison of their predictions with new proton and helium data from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), and spectra of beryllium to iron in the ∼40 to 500 MeV/n acquired by the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) during the 1997–98 solar minimum. Regressions equations relating the IMP-8 helium count rate to the solar modulation deceleration parameter calculated using the Climax neutron monitor rate have been developed and may lead to improvements in the predictive capacity of the models.
Galactic cosmic radiation environment models
Space Technology and Applications International Forum - 2001 ; 2001 ; Albuquerque, New Mexico
AIP Conference Proceedings ; 552 , 1 ; 1179-1184
2001-02-02
6 pages
Conference paper
Electronic Resource
English
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