Spectrometry of linear energy transfer and dosimetry measurements onboard spacecrafts and aircrafts

There are only a few methods of dosimetry which can estimate the contribution of different particles to onboard spacecraft and/or aircraft exposure. This contribution describes an attempt to estimate the contribution of different components to the exposure level using MDU-Liulin energy deposition spectrometer and thermoluminescent detectors (TLD’s), in combination with a spectrometer of linear energy transfer (LET) based on track etch detectors. This equipment was exposed onboard: the International Space Station for a long period and two shorter shuttle missions and a commercial subsonic aircraft for several long-term monitoring periods from 2001 to 2006. The data obtained are analyzed from several points of view and the obtained results are presented, analyzed, and discussed. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Identification and microanalysis of mineral fibers by LAMMA

Summary Analysis of asbestos and glass fibers obtained by either environmental sampling or after longer periods of deposition in human and animal tissue revealed that the latter undergo changes of their chemical composition. Electron microscopy and LAMMA were used in these investigations. The extent of fiber dissolution could be assessed. Some fibers remained chemically unchanged. In certain fibers only some elements were partially leached out whereas in other fibers the majority of metallic elements were eluted.

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Identifizierung und Mikroanalyse von mineralischen Fasern mit Hilfe von LAMMA

     

-additive families and the invariance of Borel classes

We prove that any -additive family of sets in an absolutely Souslin metric space has a -discrete refinement provided every partial selector set for is -discrete. As a corollary we obtain that every mapping of a metric space onto an absolutely Souslin metric space, which maps -sets to -sets and has complete fibers, admits a section of the first class. The invariance of Borel and Souslin sets under mappings with complete fibers, which preserves -sets, is shown as an application of the previous result.

     

On approximation of affine Baire-one functions

It is known (G. Choquet, G. Mokobodzki) that a Baire-one affine function on a compact convex set satisfies the barycentric formula and can be expressed as a pointwise limit of a sequence of continuous affine functions. Moreover, the space of Baire-one affine functions is uniformly closed. The aim of this paper is to discuss to what extent analogous properties are true in the context of general function spaces. In particular, we investigate the function spaceH(U), consisting of the functions continuous on the closure of a bounded open setU⊂ℝ ^m and harmonic onU, which has been extensively studied in potential theory. We demonstrate that the barycentric formula does not hold for the spaceB ₁ ^b (H(U)) of bounded functions which are pointwise limits of functions from the spaceH(U) and thatB ₁ ^b (H(U)) is not uniformly closed. On the other hand, every Baire-oneH(U)-affine function (in particular a solution of the generalized Dirichlet problem for continuous boundary data) is a pointwise limit of a bounded sequence of functions belonging toH(U). It turns out that such a situation always occurs for simplicial spaces whereas it is not the case for general function spaces. The paper provides several characterizations of those Baire-one functions which can be approximated pointwise by bounded sequences of elements of a given function space. Research supported in part by grants GA ČR No. 201/00/0767 from the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic, GA UK 165/99 from the Grant Agency of Charles University, and in part by grant number MSM 113200007 from the Czech Ministry of Education.     

New books

Summary Micromolar analyses of the nitrogen species NH₃, NO ₂ ^– , and NO ₃ ^– in soil and other samples are usually accomplished by extracting several samples and testing each for a different species. This procedure is not viable when the quantity of the initial sample is limited. An improved method of separating and analysing for ammonia NH₃(aq), nitrite NO ₂ ^– (aq), and nitrate NO ₃ ^– (aq) from a single small sample with concentrations of 0–50 mol/l is reported. No interferences or carryovers among the three nitrogen containing species were found. Uncertainties were ±2–5 mol/l and accuracies with respect to standards were ±3 mol/l.     

Gas flow in nucleporous filters

Journal of Applied Mechanics and Technical Physics -     

Bismuth-fission detectors for high energy nucleons: I. Registration characteristics

There is considerable current interest in the detection of high energy nucleons around accelerators, spallation sources, and in cosmic rays. A detector that has its principal response at nucleon-energy above 50 MeV is provided by the fission of Bi-209. The problem of limited sensitivity has been solved by: a) spark counting large detector areas, b) reducing the detector background by special counting procedures, c) using many replicates of a thin track detector between two ²⁰⁹Bi-radiators. Finally, the registration efficiency has been evaluated and determined experimentally using proton beams with energies of 100, 150, and 250 MeV.     

Phasenumwandlung in mizellaren Lösungen von ionogenen Tensiden und Metallionen

Summary The time course of the phase transition in the system Th⁴⁺/dodecylsulfate/HClO₄ has been measured by kinetic photometry. In micellar solutions initially formed solid particles are slowly dissolved by solubilisation.

     

Dosimetry and microdosimetry characteristics measured on board the MIR station during the 28th basic expedition

Three types of detectors were used onboard the MIR station during the 28th base expeditions to characterise the radiation field: a linear energy transfer (LET) spectrometer was used to establish the LET spectrum between 7 and 700 keV/micrometers corresponding mostly to secondary charged particles; a set of thermoluminescent detectors was used to characterise the low LET component of the onboard radiation field; and Si-diodes were installed to determine the contribution to the exposure due to fast neutrons. It was found out that the LET spectrum from secondary particles between 7 and 700 KeV/micrometers does not depend on the external radiator; the average quality factors for the region mentioned are about 6.0 with ICRP 26 quality factors and about 6.8 with ICRP 60 quality factors. Both differential and integral LET spectra are presented for some typical cases, not only for particle number but also for the dose characteristics like dose and dose equivalent. The spectra obtained also permitted us to calculate the total doses and dose equivalents due to secondary particles with the LET values between 7 and 700 keV/micrometers. It was found out that these quantities are higher for the case of detectors placed in the less shielded area, both for the LET spectrometer (high LET part) as well as for TLDs measuring the low LET component. Total dosimetric characteristics obtained as a sum of both components mentioned are a little lower than previously reported.     

Some Aspects of Analysis of Single Fibers in Environmental and Biological Samples

Abstract

Nuclepore filters were used for sampling and evaluation of fibrous particles in ambient air, in liquids and in biological materials. The fiber counting and fiber size measurements were done by means of SEM-methods. The number of fibers and the distributions of fiber lengths and diameters were plotted. The specific identifications of asbestos, glass and other mineral fibrous particles were made by electron microprobe analysis. Certain elements proved to be approximative identification factors for different fibrous minerals in ambient air, in liquids, on material surfaces, or in biological materials.

For ambient air, asbestos, glass, and many other inorganic fibrous particles were found in the urban atmosphere as well as in the atmosphere of remote regions. Fibrous gypsum, fibrous ammonium sulfates, fibrous silicates, fibrous mica, and quartz were identified among these particles. Even in remote ambient air, relatively high concentrations of inorganic fibrous particles could be measured.