The radiation environment over the African continent at aviation altitudes: first results of the RPiRENA-based dosimeter

Abstract

The radiation environment over the African continent, at aviation altitudes, remains mostly uncharacterized and unregulated. In this paper, we present initial measurements made by a newly developed active dosimeter onboard long-haul flights between South Africa and Germany. Based on these initial tests, we believe that this low-cost and open-source dosimeter is suitable for continued operation over the African continent and can provide valuable long-term measurements to test dosimetric models and inform aviation policy.

Keywords

• space weather
• aviation dosimetry
• active dosimeters
• absorbed dose rates
• africa