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International Commission on Radiological Protection recommends that aircraft crew and frequent flyers be informed of their individual doses received from cosmic radiation onboard aircrafts. The cosmic radiation dose in aviation is generally assessed by model calculations. In Japan, the code “JISCARD EX” is used since 2007 for management of cosmic radiation exposure of aircraft crew. In the present study, the precision of this code was investigated in regard to neutrons which contribute the most to the effective dose in aviation. Measurements of cosmic neutrons were performed with two moderator-type neutron monitors having different response functions: a conventional-type rem meter (NCN1) and an extended energy-range rem meter (WENDI-II) in four long-haul flights to Singapore, Sydney, Washington, D.C. and London from Japan (Narita or Kansai airport). Through the combined analyses of these measurements, the contribution of high-energy (>15 MeV) neutron component was estimated. The ambient dose equivalents, H*(10), measured with WENDI-II agreed well with the calculations made by JISCARD EX, while the contribution of the high-energy component obtained as the difference between the measured H*(10) values of two monitors was systematically higher than the model calculations.

Cosmic-ray origin neutrons were measured with a scintillation detector at the summit of Mt. Fuji at an altitude of 3776 m during the summer of 2008. The averaged neutron ambient dose equivalent rate converted from the count rates of the detector was 0.47 (+/-) 0.001 micro Sv/h, which is approximately four times greater than the calculated value of 0.11 (+/-) 0.01 micro Sv/h. It is postulated that the discrepancy between the measured and calculated neutron ambient dose equivalent rates is on account of the additional charged particle component of the mixed radiation field. To examine the characteristics of the detector at high altitude, a simple model equation which relates the count rates of the detector to the calculated fluence rates of cosmic radiation has been supposed. Based on the model equation it is estimated that the neutron ambient dose equivalent rate would be 0.14 (+/-) 0.04 micro Sv/h, and the proton contribution would be 0.28 (+/-) 0.03 micro Sv/h converted as neutron ambient dose equivalent rate. The results agree to the values of the measured and calculated neutron dose equivalent rates, and the discrepancy between them within the errors.

Dose rate of cosmic-ray origin neutrons (abbreviated to “cosmic neutrons”) at aviation altitude was estimated based on the measurements at Mt. Fuji. Cosmic neutrons were measured in a facility of the Mt. Fuji Weather Station located at the summit of Mt. Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan (3776 m in altitude), in the summer of 2008 and 2009. The average of 1 cm ambient dose equivalent H*(10) for two measurements was verified by numerical model simulation and then used to empirically estimate the solar force field potential (FFP). The H*(10) rates at aviation altitude estimated from the measurements at Mt. Fuji were compared to those obtained in in-flight measurements onboard a civilian aircraft flying near Mt. Fuji at the time between the two measurements at the mountain. According to the results obtained, we expect that the empirical estimation based on the measurements at Mt. Fuji will work effectively for dosimetry of cosmic radiation in troposphere.

Neutron energy spectrum from 7 to 180 MeV, photon energy spectrum from 4 to 50 MeV and proton energy spectrum from 94 to 145 MeV were measured simultaneously using a phoswich-type neutron detector with particle discrimination methods at atmospheric depth of 249 g/cm 2 , a vertical cut-off rigidity of 10.2 GV and at a heliocentric potential of 312 MV. We compared our results with other measured and calculated particle energy spectra. Our measured results give a large, sharp neutron peak around 70 MeV, although Bonner balls show a broad peak around 100 MeV due to low energy resolution. The measured photon and proton spectra are between the calculated energy spectra. This onboard study provides the first experimental neutron energy spectrum over 10 MeV with a high-energy resolution.

Exposure to cosmic radiation in operation of a jet aircraft is considered to be a part of the occupational exposure. Cosmic radiation doses received in aviation are generally evaluated by numerical model simulations. The precision of the model calculation should be verified by measurements. From the viewpoint of radiological protection, neutrons are the most contributing radiation component and have to be precisely measured. Neutron measurements were thus performed in a long-haul flight using a relatively new transportable neutron monitor (WENDI-II) which responds fairly well to the cosmic-ray neutrons. The in-flight measurement was carried out on 5-6 November 2009 on a polar route flight from New York/John F. Kennedy airport to Seoul/Incheon airport. The flying time was ~14 h. The observations obtained as 1 cm ambient dose equivalent were compared with model calculations using a computer program developed by the authors for the calculation of aviation route doses 'JISCARD EX'. Good agreements between the measured and calculated values were observed over the polar route where the geomagnetic cut-off rigidity is the lowest.

The opportunity of exposure to high-energy radiation up to GeV is increasing as in civilian aircrafts and at particle accelerators. The transport of such energetic particle is still difficult to describe precisely and thus verification by measurement using a well characterized instrument is indispensable for reliable dosimetry. However, no reference calibration field has been established for the high-energy range. We thus propose to use a facility at the summit of Mt. Fuji (3776 m in altitude; N35.36°, E138.73°), the highest place in Japan, for characterization of radiation instruments that are possibly used in high-energy radiation fields. For demonstration of the effectiveness, two moderator-type neutron monitors (NCN1 and WENDI-II) having different energy response functions were employed for cosmic-ray neutron measurements in the summer of 2009. In comparison with numerically simulated values, it was found that the extended energy neutron monitor (WENDI-II) has a good property suitable for measurement of the cosmic-ray neutrons with the broad range of energy. The unexpected response of NCN1 is to be investigated in ongoing studies.

A phoswich-type neutron detector was developed in order to measure high-energy cosmic ray neutron spectra in aircraft. The neutron detector consists of an EJ309 organic liquid scintillator that is 121.7mm in diameter and 121.7mm in length and is covered with a 15mm thick EJ299-13 outer plastic scintillator. The neutron response functions of the detector are required for the unfolding method to obtain the energy spectrum. The neutron response functions were created based on MCNPX simulations using an anticoincidence mode with the experimental light-output correlations with particle energies, uniformity of light collection and energy resolutions. The light-output correlation with particle energy, the uniformity of light collection and the energy resolutions were evaluated based on experiments. Measurements of neutron response functions were performed using four quasi-monoenergetic neutron beams from 40 to 80 MeV p-Li reactions to verify the calculated results. The calculated response functions show good agr...

Neutron energy spectrum from 7 to 180 MeV and photon energy spectrum from 4 to 50 MeV were measured onboard an aircraft using a newly developed phoswich-type neutron detector at 10.8 km altitude (atmospheric depth of 249 g/cm2) and geographical latitude of 39°N (a vertical cut-off rigidity of 10.2 GV) near Japan on February 13, 2008 (at a heliocentric potential of 312 MV). Our results were compared with other measurements obtained using 3He-loaded or extended-energy multi moderator neutron spectrometers (Bonner balls) at aviation altitudes, an organic liquid scintillator on the ground, and a double-scatter neutron telescope at the top of the atmosphere and with calculations using the LUIN2000, EXPACS and RMC codes. Our measured results give a large, sharp peak around a neutron energy of 70 MeV, although Bonner balls present a broad peak around 100 MeV due to low energy resolution. Our neutron fluxes agree well with the others. The measured photon energy spectrum is between the LUIN2000- and EXPACS-calcula...

To improve radiation safety in high-energy accelerator facilities, the authors have been developing the new radiation dose monitor device DARWIN: Dose monitoring system Applicable to various Radiations with WIde energy raNges. DARWIN is composed of (a) a phoswitch-type scintillation detector, which consists of liquid organic scintillator BC501A coupled with ZnS(Ag) scintillation sheets doped with 6 Li, and (b) a data acquisition (DAQ) system for digital analysis of the waveform of the scintillator signals. The DAQ system was recently updated in order to apply DARWIN in monitoring dose rates in radiation fields having time structure, introducing an originally developed module based on a field-programmable gate array. To examine the performance of DARWIN placed in radiation fields composed of varieties of particles over wide energy ranges, the authors mounted DARWIN on a jet aircraft and measured neutron, photon, muon, electron, and positron dose rates at high altitudes. The measured dose rates excellently agreed with the corresponding data calculated by EXPACS over a wide altitude range. This agreement indicates the applicability of DARWIN to dose monitoring in complex radiation fields such as those in high-energy accelerator facilities and aircrafts.

Cosmic radiation exposure of aircraft crew, which is generally evaluated by numerical simulations, should be verified by measurements. From the perspective of radiological protection, the most contributing radiation component at aviation altitude is neutrons. Measurements of cosmic neutrons, however, are difficult in a civilian aircraft because of the limitations of space and electricity; a small, battery-operated dosimeter is required whereas larger-size instruments are generally used to detect neutrons with a broad range of energy. We thus examined the applicability of relatively new transportable neutron monitors for use in an aircraft. They are (1) a conventional rem meter with a polyethylene moderator (NCN1), (2) an extended energy-range rem meter with a tungsten-powder mixed moderator (WENDI-II), and (3) a recoil-proton scintillation rem meter (PRESCILA). These monitors were installed onto the racks of a business jet aircraft that flew two times near Japan. Observed data were compared to model calculations using a PHITS-based Analytical Radiation Model in the Atmosphere (PARMA). Excellent agreement between measured and calculated values was found for the WENDI-II. The NCN1 showed approximately half of predicted values, which were lower than those expected from its response function. The observations made with PRESCILA showed much higher than expected values; which is attributable to the presence of cosmic-ray protons and muons. These results indicate that careful attention must be paid to the dosimetric properties of a detector employed for verification of cosmic neutron dose.

We measured a cosmic-neutron energy spectrum for the energy range from 9 to 160 MeV at the summit of Mt. Fuji at 3776 m above sea level, using a phoswich-type scintillation detector to study high altitude cosmic-ray exposure. Neutron signals from phoswich-type scintillation detector were separated from other particle signals by means of a pulse shape discrimination method, and unfolded with the FERDO-U code. The measured unfolded cosmic-neutron energy spectrum showed two peaks, one at around 20 MeV and the other at 110 MeV. The 110 MeV peak had good energy resolution, and the peak energy and the spectral neutron fluence rate around the peak were in agreement with those of our calculation. On the contrary, the appearance of a 20 MeV peak did not agree with the previous cosmic-neutron spectrum measurements and calculations. We believe that it is due to the overlap of signals of different particles caused by insufficient particle identification.