Cosmic ray detection on the Foton-M2 satellite by a track etch detector stack

Abstract

In the frame of the European Space Agency (ESA) project called “Biology and Physics in Space”, the returning satellite, Foton-M2, carried an open-to-space exposure platform outside of the satellite body, called as BIOPAN-5, loaded with exo-biological experiments and facilities for radiation dosimetry (RADO). One of the RADO experiments was dedicated to the detection of the primary galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and secondary neutrons by a track etch detector stack. The daily absorbed dose ( D) and dose equivalent ( H) were calculated from the experimental LET spectra (LET > 10 keV/μm). Under a shielding of ∼2.8 g/cm 2 the averaged H was found to be 658 ± 8 μSv/d, with a quality factor ( Q) of 6.2 ± 1.2. The LET spectra showed a local peak at ∼105 keV/μm suggesting that the majority of tracks were created by trapped protons as it has been predicted by calculations. The low LET dose of the cosmic radiation was determined by 4 TLD stacks, and the total dose was found to be 795 ± 14 μSv/d.