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- Title
Relationship Between NM Data and Radiation Dose at Aviation Altitudes During GLE Events.
- Authors
Larsen, N.; Mishev, A.
- Abstract
Ground‐level enhancements (GLEs) are sporadic events that signal the arrival of high fluxes of solar energetic particles (SEPs) that have been produced by solar eruptions. Ground‐level enhancement events are characterized by a significant increase in the count rate of ground‐based neutron monitors (NMs). The arrival of high‐energy SEPs in the atmosphere leads to an enhancement of the radiation environment, with the enhancement at aviation altitudes being particularly hazardous to human health as pilots, crew, and airline passengers can be subjected to dangerous levels of radiation during a GLE. Through the use of a currently expanding library of analyzed GLEs and the application of a newly developed atmospheric radiation model, both of which have been created in‐house, we found a strong statistically significant relationship between real‐time NM data during GLE events and the radiation doses at aviation altitudes. This result provides a strong scientific basis for the use of real‐time NM data as a proxy for radiation dose estimates during GLE events and aids in the development of future nowcasting models to help mitigate the dangerous impacts of future GLEs. Plain Language Summary: Solar eruptions can accelerate particles to high relativistic energies. These energetic particles can arrive at Earth, penetrate its magnetic environment, and enter the atmosphere. The arriving particles create complex atmospheric particle cascades made of secondary particles which can be detected by ground‐based instruments, such as neutron monitors. When a significant count increase is detected by neutron monitors it is known as a ground‐level enhancement (GLE). These events are sporadic with only 73 GLEs being recorded since measurements began in the mid‐1900s. The increased flux of high‐energy particles into the atmosphere causes an enhancement of the radiation environment at aviation altitudes, which poses a serious threat to human health. This work applies a newly developed atmospheric dosimetric radiation model to 21 previously analyzed GLEs to investigate the relationship between the radiation dose at aviation altitudes and real‐time neutron monitor measurements during the events, the result of which was a very strong and statistically significant relationship between the two variables. This result provides a strong scientific basis for real‐time neutron monitor data being a useful proxy for radiation doses experienced by flight crews and passengers in nowcasting models, helping mitigate the risks GLEs pose to human health. Key Points: The newly developed CRAC:DOMO dosimetric model was used to compute effective doses at typical aviation altitudes for 21 historic ground‐level enhancement (GLE) eventsA strong relationship between real‐time neutron monitor data and effective dose rates at aviation altitudes is achievedIdentification of real‐time neutron monitor data as a potential proxy for aviation radiation nowcasting tools during GLE events
- Subjects
RADIATION doses; SOLAR energetic particles; ALTITUDES; NEUTRON measurement; ATMOSPHERIC radiation
- Publication
Space Weather: The International Journal of Research & Applications, 2024, Vol 22, Issue 6, p1
- ISSN
1539-4956
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1029/2024SW003885