RE: Dose Rates vs. Altitude

[Chris Alston <alstonc@odrge.odr.georgetown.edu>]

Franz (et alia)

They are not pressurized to STP (a colleague suggests that it's to an
equivalent of 8000 to 10,000 feet), when at cruising altitude (say, 30,000
to 45,000 feet). So, if you were to take aloft a chamber that was vented to
the ambient air pressure, as most are, you'd likely want to correct the
readings, assuming that the meter had been calibrated at (nominally) sea
level. Note that cabin temperatures are usually less than that at STP, too.
One shouold take care, though, when using a pressurized ion chamber (PIC),
to ensure that it is at equilibrium with the ambient air temperature.

Regards to all
chris a.

>I had the impression that all airplanes, also the ones flying from
>Germany to Israel, had a pressurized cabin. I really would not like to fly
>at an altitude of 10 000 m in a non pressurized cabin - would you? 

>Franz Schoenhofer
>Habicherg. 31/7
>A-1160 Vienna
>Austria
>Tel.: +43-1-495 53 08
>Fax.: same number
>mobile phone: +43-664-338 0 333
>e-mail: schoenho@via.at
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