Research Article

CONCORD: comparison of cosmic radiation detectors in the radiation field at aviation altitudes

¹ German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Linder Höhe, 51147 Köln, Germany
² Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, Avenue de la Division Leclerc, 92262 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
³ Nuclear Physics Institute, Department of Radiation Dosimetry, Na Truhlarce 39/64, 180 00 Prague, Czech Republic
⁴ Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Brehova 7, 115 19 Prague, Czech Republic

^* Corresponding author: Matthias.Meier@dlr.de

Received: 15 October 2015
Accepted: 13 April 2016

Abstract

Space weather can strongly affect the complex radiation field at aviation altitudes. The assessment of the corresponding radiation exposure of aircrew and passengers has been a challenging task as well as a legal obligation in the European Union for many years. The response of several radiation measuring instruments operated by different European research groups during joint measuring flights was investigated in the framework of the CONCORD (COmparisoN of COsmic Radiation Detectors) campaign in the radiation field at aviation altitudes. This cooperation offered the opportunity to measure under the same space weather conditions and contributed to an independent quality control among the participating groups. The CONCORD flight campaign was performed with the twin-jet research aircraft Dassault Falcon 20E operated by the flight facility Oberpfaffenhofen of the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, DLR). Dose rates were measured at four positions in the atmosphere in European airspace for about one hour at each position in order to obtain acceptable counting statistics. The analysis of the space weather situation during the measuring flights demonstrates that short-term solar activity did not affect the results which show a very good agreement between the readings of the instruments of the different institutes.