Evaluating galactic cosmic ray environment models using RaD-X flight data.

Area of Science:

• Atmospheric physics
• Radiation physics
• Aviation safety

Background:

• Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) interact with Earth's geomagnetic field and atmosphere.
• The atmospheric radiation environment at airline altitudes is a mix of primary GCRs and secondary particles.
• Accurate radiation models are crucial for assessing aviation exposure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate and quantify uncertainties in physics-based models for atmospheric radiation.
• To compare different GCR environment models against experimental measurements.
• To assess the accuracy of models for predicting radiation exposure at aviation altitudes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the RaD-X balloon experiment (September 2015, >20 km altitude).
• Employed three GCR environment models: Badhwar-O'Neill 2014, ISO 15390, and DLR.
• Inputted model data into a radiation transport code to predict dosimetric quantities.

Main Results:

• Most models showed good agreement with measured tissue-equivalent dose.
• The German Aerospace Center (DLR) GCR model provided the best comparison for tissue-equivalent dose.
• Model comparisons were less favorable for dose equivalent and silicon dose measurements.

Conclusions:

• Physics-based GCR models generally align well with experimental radiation measurements at high altitudes.
• The DLR model demonstrates superior performance in predicting tissue-equivalent dose relevant to aviation.
• Further refinement may be needed for models predicting specific dosimetric quantities like dose equivalent.