Update on Radiation Dose From Galactic and Solar Protons at the Moon Using the LRO/CRaTER Microdosimeter

Authors

J. E. Mazur, Aerospace Corporation
Cary Zeitlin, Southwest Research InstituteFollow
Nathan A. Schwadron, University of New HampshireFollow
M. D. Looper, Aerospace CorporationFollow
Lawrence W. Townsend, University of Tennessee - KnoxvilleFollow
J. B. Blake, Aerospace CorporationFollow
Harlan E. Spence, University of New HampshireFollow

Abstract

The NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has been exploring the lunar surface and radiation environment since June 2009. In Mazur et al. [2011] we discussed the first 6 months of mission data from a microdosimeter that is housed within the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER) instrument onboard LRO. The CRaTER microdosimeter is an early version of what is now a commercially available hybrid that accurately measures total ionizing radiation dose in a silicon target (http://www.teledynemicro.com/product/radiation-dosimeter). This brief report updates the transition from a deep solar minimum radiation environment to the current weak solar maximum as witnessed with the microdosimeter.

Department

Physics

Publication Date

6-5-2015

Journal Title

Space Weather

Publisher

American Geophysical Union Publications

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1002/2015SW001175

Document Type

Article

Recommended Citation

Mazur, J. E., C. Zeitlin, N. Schwadron, M. D. Looper, L. W. Townsend, J. B. Blake, and H. Spence (2015), Update on Radiation Dose From Galactic and Solar Protons at the Moon Using the LRO/CRaTER Microdosimeter, Space Weather, 13, 363–364. doi:10.1002/2015SW001175.