On Determining the Zenith-Angle Dependence of the Martian Radiation Environment at Gale Crater Altitudes

Authors

Robert F. Wimmer-Schweingruber, University of Kial
Jan Kohler, University of Kiel
Donald J. Hassler, Southwest Research Institute
Jingnan Guo, University of Kiel
Jan-Kristoffer Appel, University of Kiel
Cary Zeitlin, Lockheed Martin IS and GS
Eckart Bohm Bent, University of Kiel
Ehresmann, Southwest Research Institute
Henning Lohf, University of Kiel
Stephan I. Bottcher Sonke, University of Kiel
Burmeister, University of Kiel
Cesar Martin, University of Kiel
Alexander Kharytonov, University of Kiel
David E. Brinza, California Institute of Technology
Arik Posner, NASA Headquarters
Gunther Reitz, Institute of Aerospace Medicine
Daniel Matthia, Institute of Aerospace Medicine
Scott Rafkin, Southwest Research Institute
Gerald Weigle, Big Head Endian
Francis Cucinotta, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2016

Publication Title

Geophysical Research Letters

Volume

42

Issue

24

First page number:

10557

Last page number:

10564

Abstract

We report the zenith angle dependence of the radiation environment at Gale Crater on Mars. This is the first determination of this dependence on another planet than Earth and is important for future human exploration of Mars and understanding radiation effects in the Martian regolith. Within the narrow range of tilt angles (0≤θ0≤15°) experienced by Curiosity on Mars, we find a dependence with , which is not too different from an isotropic radiation field and quite different from that at sea level on Earth where .

Repository Citation

Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F., Kohler, J., Hassler, D. J., Guo, J., Appel, J., Zeitlin, C., Bohm, E., Ehresmann, Lohf, H., Bottcher, S. I., Burmeister, Martin, C., Kharytonov, A., Brinza, D. E., Posner, A., Reitz, G., Matthia, D., Rafkin, S., Weigle, G., Cucinotta, F. (2016). On Determining the Zenith-Angle Dependence of the Martian Radiation Environment at Gale Crater Altitudes. Geophysical Research Letters, 42(24), 10557-10564.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2015GL066664