Date of Award

3-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering

Department

Department of Engineering Physics

First Advisor

John W. McClory, PhD

Abstract

GCR and SPE comprise the majority of the ionizing radiation experienced in the upper atmosphere within flight-altitude environments. Although previous studies have analyzed radiation doses from single sources on civilian flight operations, there is a lack of research focused on dose received by military personnel during flight from both sources simultaneously. In-flight radiation environments are modeled through the MCNP6 for two separate aircraft, an Air Force A-10 and a Boeing 737. Particle fluence values for galactic cosmic rays and solar particle events for four separate flight paths are determined using the CARI-7A software and the SIRE2 toolkit, respectively. MCNP6 code and flux-to-dose conversion factors from the ICRP Pub. 60 were used to determine the effective dose received by aircrew. The effective dose for each flight was compared to the effective dose provided by CARI-7A and SIRE2. Overall, the results for GCR and SPE doses through the simulated environment matched CARI-7A results better than SIRE2 results. SIRE2 predicted no particle fluence for the two flight tracks through the equator and an effective dose of 23,760 µSv for a flight path near the Arctic circle during a solar maximum. Additionally, for the Boeing 737 the effective dose for a passenger in the middle of the plane was approximately half of the effective dose for the pilot at the front of the aircraft. Finally, a A-10 pilot received approximately 10 times the dose of a Boeing 737 pilot.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-ENP-MS-23-M-101

Comments

PA cleared, 88ABW-2023-0158.

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