Characterisation of bubble detectors for aircrew and space radiation exposure

The Earth's atmosphere acts as a natural radiation shield which protects terrestrial dwellers from the radiation environment encountered in space. In general, the intensity of this radiation field increases with distance from the ground owing to a decrease in the amount of atmospheric shielding. Neutrons form an important component of the radiation field to which the aircrew and spacecrew are exposed. In light of this, the neutron-sensitive bubble detector may be ideal as a portable personal dosemeter at jet altitudes and in space. This paper describes the ground-based characterisation of the bubble detector and the application of the bubble detector for the measurement of aircrew and spacecrew radiation exposure.