The high-energy heavy-particle fluences in the orbits of manned space stations

Abstract

The results are presented of measurements high-energy particles in a customary manned space station orbit (a 350-450-km altitude, a 51.6 degrees inclination; Salyut-6 and 7, MIR). The particles were recorded by the chambers composed of the Lavsan (polyethyleneterephtalate) solid-state nuclear track detector layers mounted outside a spacecraft for 1-3 years. A high resolution has been attained in the charge and energy spectra of 30-200 MeV/n Fe group particles. The results of measuring the particle fluxes in the space station orbits are used to restore the initial particle energy spectra in terms of the models that describe the galactic and solar cosmic rays and their penetration to the Earth's magnetosphere. The analysis demonstrates a high effectiveness of the described methods when applied to quite a number of space physics problems.