AW: [ RadSafe ] A question for the group

[Rainer.Facius at dlr.de]

Joel,

 

the photon doses at which you can observe deteriorated functionality for electronic devices vary by orders of magnitudes depending on the type of device and the level of integration. Commercial CMOS devices for instance typically can only stand some 10s of Gy before they start to respond with increased power consumption. Even larger variations you observe for particle irradiations, neutrons, protons - and in space - heavy ions. For particulate radiation you have finite probabilities to observe 'single event upsets' from the passage of a single particle - depending on the LET and the 'sensitive volume' size (capacity) of a functional element. 

 

If you are unable to characterize the radiation field, the device specifications and what effects are considered critical, the best advice I can give is to look up tutorials such as

 

http://lhcb-elec.web.cern.ch/lhcb-elec/html/radiation_hardness.htm <http://lhcb-elec.web.cern.ch/lhcb-elec/html/radiation_hardness.htm> .  

 

Here you also find references to more detailed studies, many of them for the space radiation environment.

 

Best regards, Rainer

 

Regarding Low Dose Rate (LDR) effects, I found in one of the papers accessible there the following summarizing Quote of the Decade (QOD) by Faccio - valid for effects in non-living matter!:

 

                        :-)   "LDR appears to be consistently inconsistent"    :-)


 
Dr. Rainer Facius
German Aerospace Center
Institute of Aerospace Medicine
Linder Hoehe
51147 Koeln
GERMANY
Voice: +49 2203 601 3147 or 3150
FAX:   +49 2203 61970




________________________________

Von: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl im Auftrag von Baumbaugh, Joel SPAWAR
Gesendet: Fr 07.09.2007 17:41
An: radsafe at radlab.nl
Betreff: [ RadSafe ] A question for the group



All,

Without being able to give specifics (I didn't want to make it EASY on
anyone - LOL)...  About what field strength (gamma/x-ray or?) will we
begin to see some affect(s) (on most unshielded electronics)?  Friends
have a "portable" robot that might be exposed to some pretty high fields
(not in this country).

Thanks,

Joel Baumbaugh
SSC-SD


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