RE: Sci. Am. value for Mir radiation exposure -Reply

["Scott D. Kniffin" <Scott.D.Kniffin.1@gsfc.nasa.gov>]

Mornin' RADSAFEr's

Just a quick comment on one point, there are very very few neutrons (from
an activation standpoint) in background and solar space radiaiton.  The
source term of activation products would be overshadowed by even a modest
check source.  You do have to worry about neutrons if you have an RTG with
you though.  I'll poke around this afternoon and see if I can find anything
on MIR.  Tad, do you have anything?  

Scott Kniffin

mailto:Scott.D.Kniffin.1@gsfc.nasa.gov
RSO, Unisys Corp. @ Lanham, MD
CHO, Radiation Effects Facility, GSFC, NASA, Greenbelt, MD

The opinions expressed here are my own.  They do not necessarily represent
the views of Unisys Corporation or NASA.  This information has not been
reviewed by my employer or supervisor.  

At 08:17 05/06/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Good Morning,
>
>Again, I make a plea for more careful use of the language.  Bill Lorenzen
asks:
>"Does the Mir have any radioactive material on it?"  The answer, of
course, is:
>certainly it does; all real materials are radioactive.  I presume that
Bill knows that
>and really is interested in something else (check sources, calibration
sources,
>isotopic heat sources, RTGs, activation products from space radiation, or
other).  
>The intent of the question may be worth while, but the implication that
"radioactive
>materials" are somehow special or unusual is objectionable in that it
exacerbates
>our public relations problems.
>
>Charlie Willis
>caw@nrc.gov
>
>