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RE: Dosimeters for high altitudes

We have been supplying both active and passive dosimetry to U-2 and other high
altitude pilots for the USAF for several years.  All of our dosimeters are
custom built and not commercially available.

We use a small tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) for the active
dosimeter which is actually mounted in the cockpit, and a combination track etch
(TED) and TLD for the passive dosimeter.

Calibration is a problem.  We use bare Cf-252 for the neutron dosimeter, which
is not totally correct, but close enough to within 20% of the expected dose
equivalent.  There are other sources which we could use, but it is our feeling
at the moment that the cost is not worth the effort.

John A Leonowich
Battelle Pacific NW Laboratory

	-----Original Message-----
	From:	Gerald Laurence 
	Sent:	Thursday, August 27, 1998 4:11 AM
	To:	Multiple recipients of list
	Subject:	Dosimeters for high altitudes

	I have a problem with a colleague in an atmospheric research program who
	will regularly fly in an experimental aircraft at 45 -  55 thousand feet
(
	15 - 18 thousand metres). In Australia the Civil Aviation regulatory
	authority requires planes flying above 49 000 feet to carry equipment to
	measure and display the "dose rate of cosmic radiation (the total
ionizing
	and neutron radiation of galactic and solar origin)".
	Does anyone have any information about such instruments, suppliers etc
(and
	how would you go about calibrating an instrument to cover particles of
	tens/hundreds of MeV, fast and thermal neutrons, high energy gammas down
to
	X-rays ?
	Any experience with similar flight situations would be very helpful.
	Thanks
	Gerald Laurence
	RSO
	Flinders University of South Australia

	Dr Gerald Laurence
	Aduchem Pty Ltd
	PO BOX 351
	BURNSIDE   South Australia  5066

	Phone  (61) 8 8379 6839
	Mobile  (61) 0411 44 4895
	Fax      (61)  8 8379 0657
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information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html