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Christopher J Mertens

Publications and source records attributed to Christopher J Mertens.

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2025

NAIRAS Version 3 Atmospheric Ionizing Radiation Validation: Comparisons to RaD-X Measurements

The Nowcast of Aerospace Ionizing RAdiation System (NAIRAS) model predicts dosimetric and radiative flux quantities for assessing human radiation exposure levels and radiation effects on flight electronic systems from the surface of the Earth to deep space. NAIRAS version 3 includes many updates and improvements to the model. In this paper, NAIRAS version 3 dosimetric quantities are compared to observations of the atmospheric radiation environment taken during the Radiation Dosimetry Experiment (RaD-X) flight campaign. The RaD-X campaign consisted of a high-altitude balloon flight, with altitudes up to 40 km, and four coordinated aircraft flights covering an altitude range from 6-20 km. The RaD-X measurement data from the different flight platforms were acquired in September 2015 and at nearly the same vertical cutoff rigidity (3-4 GV). High quality, flight-averaged measurement data were provided at seven altitudes, which correspond to regions of fundamentally different radiation transport and collisional interaction physics. The NAIRAS model agrees with the RaD-X measurements to within 30% over the entire altitude domain of the flight campaign (0-40 km), which is within the measurement uncertainty.

Christopher J Mertens↗
NASA NTRS2024

Commercial Crew Program (CCP) Post-flight Reference Radiation Environments

The Nowcast of Aerospace Ionizing RAdiation System (NAIRAS) model version 3 is a coupled physics-based model that transports ionizing radiation through the heliosphere, Earth’s magnetosphere, the neutral atmosphere, and aircraft and spacecraft shielding. Ionizing radiation sources included in the model are: 1) galactic cosmic rays, 2) solar energetic particles including protons and heavy ions, and 3) the inner radiation belt trapped protons and electrons. NAIRAS predicts dosimetric quantities and differential and integral flux and fluence quantities for assessing human radiation exposure and single event effects in vehicle electronic systems from the Earth’s surface to the space environment.

Christopher J Mertens↗
NASA NTRS2020

Space Weather Architecture Options to Support Human and Robotic Deep Space Exploration

Understanding solar energetic particle (SEP) event characteristics is critical to the proper design of human and robotic space missions. This report details a study of operational response time for monitoring space weather for crewed flights, specifically targeting lunar and Mars missions. The NESC assessment team evaluated the required minimum latency for data streams and forecasts that will directly affect mission operations using a 41-year database (i.e., European Space Agency (ESA) Solar Energetic Particle Environment Modeling (SEPEM) RSDv2.0) of SEP events. The database contained 192 SEP events that resulted in a dose increase above background levels. Of those, 10% were “multiple events,” or events that occurred in quick succession. The analysis provides probabilistic values for time to peak flux and dose rate for the duration of each event. This NESC assessment also evaluated the SEP threshold levels for exploration missions to determine the relevant energy range of required proton measurements.

Solar energetic particle↗
NASA NTRS2019

Advances in Space Radiation Physics and Transport

The space radiation environment is a complex mixture of particle types and energies originating from sources inside and outside of the galaxy. These environments may be modified by the heliospheric and geomagnetic conditions as well as planetary bodies and vehicle or habitat mass shielding. In low Earth orbit (LEO), the geomagnetic field deflects a portion of the galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and all but the most intense solar particle events (SPE). There are also dynamic belts of trapped electrons and protons with low to medium energy and intense particle count rates. In deep space, the GCR exposure is more severe than in LEO and varies inversely with solar activity. Unpredictable solar storms also present an acute risk to astronauts if adequate shielding is not provided. Near planetary surfaces such as the Earth, moon or Mars, secondary particles are produced when the ambient deep space radiation environment interacts with these surfaces and/or atmospheres. These secondary particles further complicate the local radiation environment and modify the associated health risks. Characterizing the radiation fields in this vast array of scenarios and environments is a challenging task and is currently accomplished with a combination of computational models and dosimetry. The computational tools include models for the ambient space radiation environment, mass shielding geometry, and atomic and nuclear interaction parameters. These models are then coupled to a radiation transport code to describe the radiation field at the location of interest within a vehicle or habitat. Many new advances in these models have been made in the last decade, and the present review article focuses on the progress and contributions made by workers and collaborators at NASA in the same time frame. Although great progress has been made, and models continue to improve, significant gaps remain and are discussed in the context of planned future missions. Of particular interest is the juxtaposition of various review committee findings regarding the accuracy and gaps of combined space radiation environment, physics, and transport models with the progress achieved over the past decade. While current models are now fully capable of characterizing radiation environments in the broad range of forecasted mission scenarios, it should be remembered that uncertainties still remain and need to be addressed.

Space radiation↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

TPSAS-NF1676L-32652-DND

Space weather is an important driver of the exposure of aircrew and passengers to cosmic rays at flight altitudes. The assessment of the corresponding radiation doses can be realized by measurements or model calculations that cover the whole range of the radiation field in terms of geomagnetic shielding, atmospheric shielding, and the effects of space weather. Since the radiation field at aviation altitudes is very complex in terms of particle composition and energy distribution, the accurate experimental determination of doses at aviation altitudes is still a challenging task. Accordingly, the amount of data with comparatively small uncertainties is scarce. The Community Coordinated Modeling Center invited the Federal Aviation Administration, the German Aerospace Center, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to make their radiation models for aviation CARI-7A, PANDOCA, and NAIRAS available for interested users via the Community Coordinated Modeling Center web site. A concomitant comparison of model calculations with measuring data provided information on the predicting capabilities and the uncertainties of the current versions of these models under quiet space weather conditions.

Matthias M Meier↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

TPSAS-NF1676L-16422-DND

The Nowcast of Atmospheric Ionizing Radiation for Aviation Safety (NAIRAS) is a prototype operational model for predicting aircraft radiation exposure from galactic and solar cosmic rays. NAIRAS predictions are currently streaming live from the project's public website, and the exposure rate nowcast is also available on the SpaceWx smartphone app for iPhone, IPad, and Android. Cosmic rays are the primary source of human exposure to high linear energy transfer radiation at aircraft altitudes, which increases the risk of cancer and other adverse health effects. Results from recent NAIRAS model updates and new data products are presented. In addition, current and ongoing radiation measurement campaigns and verification and validation efforts are discussed.

Christopher J Mertens↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

TPSAS-NF1676L-30686-DND

Langley Research Center's Nowcast of Atmospheric Ionizing Radiation for Aviation Safety (NAIRAS) model began model formulation and development in 2004, and is running in real-time at the LaRC/DAAC since April 2011. Distinguishing features: real-time physics-based, global model; real-time inclusion of SEP radiation; and real-time solar-magnetospheric effects on radiation.

Amanda Fritz↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

TPSAS-NF1676L-18552-DND

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Christopher J Mertens↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

TPSAS-NF1676L-10829-DND

Galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and solar energetic particles (SEP) are the primary sources of human exposure to high linear energy transfer (LET) radiation in the atmosphere. High-LET radiation is effective at directly breaking DNA strands in biological tissue, or producing chemically active radicals in tissue that alter the cell function, both of which can lead to cancer or other adverse health effects. A prototype operational nowcast model of air-crew radiation exposure is currently under development and funded by NASA. The model predicts air-crew radiation exposure levels from both GCR and SEP that may accompany solar storms. The new air-crew radiation exposure model is called the Nowcast of Atmospheric Ionizing Radiation for Aviation Safety (NAIRAS) model. NAIRAS will provide global, data-driven, real-time exposure predictions of biologically harmful radiation at aviation altitudes. Observations are utilized from the ground (neutron monitors), from the atmosphere (the NCEP Global Forecast System), and from space (NASA/ACE and NOAA/GOES). Atmospheric observations characterize the overhead mass shielding and the ground- and space-based observations provide boundary conditions on the incident GCR and SEP particle flux distributions for transport and dosimetry calculations. Radiation exposure rates are calculated using the NASA physics-based HZETRN (High Charge (Z) and Energy TRaNsport) code. An overview of the NAIRAS model is given: the concept, design, prototype implementation status, data access, and example results. Issues encountered thus far and known and/or anticipated hurdles to research to operations transition are also discussed.

Christopher J Mertens↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NAIRAS Model Updates

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Aviation Radiation↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Characterization of Radiation Exposure at Aviation Flight Altitudes Using the Nowcast of Aerospace Ionizing Radiation System (NAIRAS)

Exposure to ionizing radiation from galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) and solar energetic particles (SEPs) at aircraft flight altitudes can have an adverse effect on human health. Although airline crews are classified as radiation workers by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), in most countries, their level of exposure is unquantified and undocumented throughout the duration of their career. As such, there is a need to assess pilot ionizing radiation exposure. The Nowcast of Aerospace Ionizing Radiation System (NAIRAS), a real-time global, physics-based model is used to assess such exposure. The Automated Radiation Measurements for Aerospace Safety (ARMAS) measurement dataset consists of high latitude, high altitude, and long-duration aircraft flights between 2013-2021. Here, we characterize radiation exposure at aviation flight altitudes using the NAIRAS model and compare with over 800 flight trajectories from the ARMAS flight measurement inventory.

Daniel B Phoenix↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NAIRAS Model Nowcasting and Forecasting of the Aviation Radiation Environment

The Nowcast of Aerospace Ionizing RAdiation System (NAIRAS) predicts dosimetric quantities for quantifying human radiation exposure and differential/integral flux/fluence quantities for assessing single event effects (SEE) in avionic systems from galactic cosmic rays (GCR), trapped inner belt protons, and solar energetic particle (SEP) events from the Earth’s surface to the space environment. Real-time predictions of the aviation radiation environment are available at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) integrated Space Weather Analysis (iSWA) data feeds and cygnets, and a run-on-request (RoR) capability has also been deployed at CCMC. Recent model improvements include a more accurate atmospheric ionizing radiation transport methodology and more robust and reliable SEP nowcast dose predictions. In addition, preliminary results of SEP dose forecasts are shown by coupling the University of Malaga Solar Energetic Particle (UMASEP) model of integral proton flux forecasts with the NAIRAS model. These model updates and improvements are presented, and results are shown for aircraft, high-latitude balloon, and low-Earth orbit flights during quiescent and solar-geomagnetic disturbed conditions. Model comparisons with flight measurements are also shown.

NAIRAS↗