In-Flight Atmospheric Radiation Observations for Space Weather Risk Monitoring

Solar storms can create sudden increases in ionizing radiation at typical flight altitudes leading to the risk of malfunctions in aircraft microelectronic systems and unquantified radiation dose to passengers and crew. In extreme cases there is the risk of an ‘ash cloud’ scenario where aircraft may have to be grounded or diverted. To-date in-flight observations of this radiation have been extremely sparse due to very limited flight opportunities for the relevant instruments. This project, supported by the Met Office, Public Health England and NPL, combines new technology using solid-state radiation detectors, smart phones and satellite applications to enable a revolutionary increase in the number of observations of atmospheric radiation at flight altitude. The aim of the project is to develop and prove in a number of flight-trials a miniaturized detector which can be issued to co-operating passengers and crew members to operate with their smart phone or tablet during a flight to record the radiation environment. The data will be downloaded via the web on landing or en-route. Flight trials on Met Office and commercial aircraft will be carried out and data analysed as the first step towards a new and unique system of global observations of a key space weather hazard.

The project will be co-supervised by Christopher Bridges (Surrey), David Jackson (Met Office) and Graeme Taylor (National Physical Laboratory).

The full project description is available here http://www.met.reading.ac.uk/nercdtp/home/available/desc/SC201511_Ryden.pdf