The CERN-EU radiation facility for dosimetry at flight altitude and in space

Abstract

A reference facility for the inter-comparison of active and passive detectors in complex high-energy neutron fields is available at CERN since 1993. A positively charged hadron beam (a mixture of protons and pions) with momentum of 120 GeV/c hits a copper target, 50 cm thick and 7 cm in diameter. The secondary particles produced in the interaction traverse a shield made of either 80 cm of concrete or 40 cm of iron. Behind the iron shield, the resulting neutron spectrum has a maximum at about 1 MeV, with an additional high-energy component. Behind the concrete shield, the neutron spectrum has a second pronounced maximum at about 70 MeV and resembles the high-energy component of the radiation field at commercial flight altitudes created by cosmic rays. Recent Monte Carlo calculations are presented, performed for different beam conditions and shielding configurations in view of a possible upgrade of the facility for measurements related to the space program.