Preliminary studies to develop a personal dosemeter for use by aircraft crew

Area of Science:

• Radiation detection and measurement
• Aerospace dosimetry
• Nuclear instrumentation

Background:

• Military aircraft crew are exposed to elevated levels of cosmic radiation during flight.
• Accurate dosimetry is essential for monitoring and managing radiation exposure in aviation environments.
• Existing methods may not fully capture the complex radiation fields encountered at flight altitudes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel cosmic-radiation dosemeter for military aircrew.
• To assess the performance of a combined CR-39 etched-track and TLD-700 thermoluminescent detector system.
• To determine the dosemeter's suitability for measuring neutron, photon, and charged particle doses encountered during flight.

Main Methods:

• Utilized CR-39 etched-track detectors to measure neutron dose, calibrated using a reference neutron field simulating cosmic radiation.
• Employed TLD-700 thermoluminescent detectors for photon and charged particle dose assessment, calibrated with 137Cs gamma rays.
• Evaluated detector linearity and fading over a 6-month period post-irradiation.

Main Results:

• CR-39 demonstrated linear response to neutrons in the 0.2-6.0 mSv range with minimal fading.
• TLD-700 showed linear response to photons in the 0.01-5.0 mSv range with no significant fading.
• Both detector types exhibited stability and reliable performance over the study period.

Conclusions:

• A combined CR-39 and TLD-700 dosemeter is a viable and effective solution for military aircrew radiation monitoring.
• The proposed dosemeter accurately assesses the mixed radiation fields encountered at typical flight altitudes.
• This technology can enhance radiation safety protocols for aviation personnel.