Nuclear Emulsion Measurements of the Astronauts' Radiation Exposures on Skylab Missions 2, 3 and 4,
Abstract
On the Skylab missions, Ilford G.5 and K.2 emulsions were flown as part of passive dosimeter packs carried by the astronauts on their wrists. Due to the long mission times, latent image fading and track crowding imposed limitations on a quantitative track and grain count analysis. Merely for Skylab 2, the complete proton energy spectrum was determined within reasonable error limits. A combined mission dose equivalent of 2,490 millirems from protons, tissue stars and neutrons was measured on Skylab 2. A stationary emulsion stack, kept in a film vault drawer on the same mission, displayed a highly structured directional distribution of the fluence of low-energy protons (enders) reflecting the local shield distribution. On the 59 and 84-day missions 3 and 4, G.5 emulsions had to be cut on the microtom to 5-7 microns for microscopic examination. Even so, the short track segments in such thin layers precluded a statistically reliable grain count analysis. However, the K.2 emulsions still allowed accurate proton ender counts without special provisions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 10, 1975
- Accession Number
- ADA019804
Entities
People
- Hermann J. Schaefer
- Jeremiah J. Sullivan
Organizations
- Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory