Diamond dosimeters: applications to radiobiology and space environments

Biological experiments in space and ongoing human space missions devoted to the solar system exploration require significant advancements in the radiation environment monitoring systems. Radiation hazard has to be continuously monitored and the biological damage should be evaluated within short time. In this paper, we review the use of polycrystalline diamond films as dosimeters for space applications. The charge trapped into deep intra-gap defect levels during radiation exposure, and released during a high-temperature thermal scan to give thermally stimulated current (TSC), has been integrated as a function of time to evaluate the absorbed dose. TSC results have been proved to give correct evaluation of the dose absorbed during the space mission, assessing the capabilities of synthetic diamond and TSC read-out system as a proper dosimetry technique for space applications. The capability of diamond films to detect low doses has been demonstrated down to the mGys range. The results of the application of these dosimeters in low Earth orbit space missions are described.