SM31A-4156:
Estimating the temporal cutoff-rigidity variations and their implication on manned space missions

Wednesday, 17 December 2014
Konstantin Herbst1, Johannes Labrenz1, Andreas Kopp1, Bernd Heber1, Sönke Burmeister1 and Thomas Berger2, (1)Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Institute for Experimental and Applied Physics, Extraterrestrial Physics, Kiel, Germany, (2)German Aerospace Center DLR Cologne, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology Department, Cologne, Germany
Abstract:
Using the PLANETOCOSMICS code the vertical cutoff rigidity or equivalently the minimum energy a particle must have in order to reach a given location on Earth is calculated. The program allows investigations that depend on the Earth’s magnetic field strength and geometry as a function of time. Today it is well known that the magnetic field is the subject of temporal variations on long as well as short time-scales which reflects itself, e.g., in the global vertical cutoff-rigidity distribution at 20 km altitude (see Herbst et al., 2013). Focusing on the changes during the era of manned space missions (1961-2014) we extend our analysis of the vertical cutoff rigidity variations to about 450 km i.e. to the International Space Station (ISS) orbit. The outcome of this analysis will be compared to measurements of the DOSimetry TELescope (DOSTEL), an instrument that has been operational for several time periods onboard the ISS, allowing to determine the response function of the instrument. Using the Force-Field parameter derived from neutron monitors (see Usoskin et al., 2011) we will present maps of DOSTEL measurements for more than 50 years that are caused by galactic cosmic ray variations along hypothetical ISS orbits.