Analytical Representations for Characterizing the Global Aviation Radiation Environment Based on Model and Measurement Databases

Abstract

The Nowcast of Atmospheric Ionizing Radiation for Aviation Safety climatological model and the Automated Radiation Measurements for Aerospace Safety (ARMAS) statistical database are presented as polynomial fit equations. Using equations based on altitude, L shell, and geomagnetic conditions an effective dose rate for any location from a galactic cosmic ray (GCR) environment can be calculated. A subset of the ARMAS database is represented by a second polynomial fit equation for the GCR plus probable relativistic energetic particle (REP; Van Allen belt REP) effective dose rates within a narrow band of L shells with altitudinal and geomagnetic dependency. Solar energetic particle events are not considered in this study since our databases do not contain these events. This work supports a suggestion that there may be a REP contribution having an effect at aviation altitudes. The ARMAS database is rich in Western Hemisphere observations for L shells between 1.5 and 5; there have been many cases of enhanced radiation events possibly related to effects from radiation belt particles. Our work identifies that the combined effects of an enhanced radiation environment in this L shell range are typically 15% higher than the GCR background. We also identify applications for the equations representing the Nowcast of Atmospheric Ionizing Radiation for Aviation Safety and ARMAS databases. They include (i) effective dose rate climatology in comparison with measured weather variability and (ii) climatological and statistical weather nowcasting and forecasting. These databases may especially help predict the radiation environment for regional air traffic management, for airport overflight operations, and for air carrier route operations of individual aircraft.

Radiation Data Portal: Integration of Radiation Measurements at the Aviation Altitudes and Solar‐Terrestrial Environment Observations

“…• ARMAS radiation measurements augmented with the integrated properties of the flight and environment. A detailed description of ARMAS measurements can be found at Tobiska et al (2015Tobiska et al ( , 2016Tobiska et al ( , 2018. In essence, the ARMAS project utilizes a microdosimeter integrated into a data processing and communication electronics package to measure and report the absorbed dose rates with a 1-min cadence.…”

“…In‐situ measurements during airplane flights and balloon experiments represent the most direct way to get information about radiation environment conditions. The Automated Radiation Measurements for Aerospace Safety (ARMAS, Tobiska et al., 2015, 2016, 2018) program obtains measurements of the local radiation environment conditions, dose, and dose rates from dosimeters flown on a commercial aircraft. The data are retrieved in real time, downlinked to the ground, and compared against the Nowcast of the Atmospheric Ionizing Radiation for Aerospace Safety (NAIRAS v1, Mertens et al., 2013) radiation environment model.…”

Space Radiation and Plasma Effects on Satellites and Aviation: Quantities and Metrics for Tracking Performance of Space Weather Environment Models

“…In the area of internal charging, two major events/periods where internal charging anomalies occurred have been selected. Two manuscripts in the area of radiation effects at aviation altitudes have been published as part of this special issue (Meier et al, ; Tobiska et al, ). In Meier et al (), the mean deviation was used as a metrics for validating models for the assessment of the radiation exposure at aviation altitudes.…”

A Method for Calculating Atmospheric Radiation Produced by Relativistic Electron Precipitation

“…GCR intensity in general varies with the 11-year solar cycle due to modulation of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) generated by the sun [e.g., Vainio et al, 2009]. A typical value of GCR background radiation at altitude of 10-15 km is approximately 1-10 µSv/hr [e.g., Mertens et al, 2013;Tobiska et al, 2018]. Copeland et al [2008] have investigated a total of 169 SEP events measured by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) between 1986 and 2008; the maximum radiation dose in one hour to an adult produced by GCR and SEP is found to be ∼2.6 mSv at 18.3 km altitude.…”