The Van Allen Probes Engineering Radiation Monitor: Mission Radiation Environment and Effects

The engineering radiation monitor (ERM) measures dose, dose rate, and charging currents on the Van Allen Probes mission to study the dynamics of Earth's Van Allen radiation belts. Measurements from this monitor show a variation in dose rates with time, a correlation between the dosimeter and ch...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Johns Hopkins APL technical digest 2016-07, Vol.33 (3), p.183-193
Main Authors: Maurer, Richard H, Goldsten, John O
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Charging
Dosage
Earth
Electronics
Missions
Monitors
Radiation belts
Spacecraft
Online Access:Get full text
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Description
Summary:The engineering radiation monitor (ERM) measures dose, dose rate, and charging currents on the Van Allen Probes mission to study the dynamics of Earth's Van Allen radiation belts. Measurements from this monitor show a variation in dose rates with time, a correlation between the dosimeter and charging current data, a map of charging current versus orbit altitude, and a comparison of measured cumulative dose to prelaunch and postlaunch modeling. The measurement results and surveys of the radiation hardness for the spacecraft and science instrument electronics enable the team to predict the length of possible mission extensions. The ERM data have proved useful in investigations of two spacecraft anomalies.
ISSN:0270-5214