[ RadSafe ] 10 rem from lightning??

[Cueva, Louie]

I remember seeing the issue of terrestrial gamma-ray flashes crop up late last year, I think this is the article I read but it's close enough (even has the 10 rem reference). The article does mention that the doses were not measured by aircraft but rather research based on artificial lightning strikes, then modeled in a thundercloud/lightning storm environment. Based on the details (or lack thereof) presented in the article the phenomena seems to be more speculation than substance. Still, it would be an interesting read if the follow-up does turn up in the Journal of Geophysical Research. 

http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/091208-airplane-lightning-radiation.html

Louie Cueva 
Radiation Health Protection 
Environment, Health & Safety 
206.544.4315 desk | 206.653.5754 mobile
louie.cueva at boeing.com


-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Kulp, Jeffrey B
Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2010 2:59 PM
To: efforrer at aol.com; radsafe at agni.phys.iit.edu
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] 10 rem from lightning??

Does the EU still consider their commercial airline crews to be occupational radiation workers? If so, and the dosimetry they use is able to detect short "bursts" as they are called in many of the articles linked by contributors, then there ought to be exposure records that could be looked at. 


Jeff Kulp
Washington State University
Radiation Safety Office
Pullman, WA 99164-1302
(509) 335-8175


-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at agni.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at agni.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of efforrer at aol.com
Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2010 1:55 PM
To: radsafe at agni.phys.iit.edu
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] 10 rem from lightning??


Before I left UCSC I was working with the group who was doing this research.  They were having problems actually figuring out how to get the measurements because the airlines did not want to know about radiation from lightning strikes near aircraft.  Good thing to keep in mind this research was not about lightning strikes to aircraft but near aircraft.  Since they could not get the airlines to work with them in carrying measurement equipment so they could get information about when and where a lightning event occurred we played with ideas like dataloggers which would take periodic readings and record time and radiation levels.  Coupling it to a GPS was also discussed so they could figure out where the strike was.  The idea was to Fedex the package and hope for the best.  Budget problems made this sort of approach too costly.  I have no idea what they finally used.  Something to keep in mind is that these radiation events last micro or even nano seconds.  I am not sure if the  dose mentioned in the article took this into consideration.  I asked the researchers what they hoped to do with the information and they basically indicated it was purely for informational purposes.  No one had measured it before.  My concern was they would get these measurements and then the whole world would get all concerned about radiation to airline passengers and crew during a lightning storm.

Gene
_______________________________________________
You are currently subscribed to the RadSafe mailing list

Before posting a message to RadSafe be sure to have read and understood the RadSafe rules. These can be found at:
http://health.phys.iit.edu/radsaferules.html

For information on how to subscribe or unsubscribe and other settings
visit: http://health.phys.iit.edu
_______________________________________________
You are currently subscribed to the RadSafe mailing list

Before posting a message to RadSafe be sure to have read and understood the RadSafe rules. These can be found at: http://health.phys.iit.edu/radsaferules.html

For information on how to subscribe or unsubscribe and other settings visit: http://health.phys.iit.edu