DOSIMETRY FOR BIOLOGICAL EXPERIMENTS IN SPACE (DOBIES)
Research Area: Radiation Measurements and Shielding
Expedition(s): 16- 28
Principal Investigator(s): ● Filip van Havere, PhD, Belgium Nuclear Research Centre,
Mol, Belgium
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The main goal of the Dosimetry for Biological Experiments in Space (DOBIES) project, along with
the Dose Distribution Inside the International Space Station (DOSIS) and Expose-E experiment,
is to develop a standard dosimetric method (as a combination of different techniques) to
measure the absorbed doses and equivalent doses in biological samples. Knowledge of the
absorbed doses and equivalent doses is very important for understanding the observed
behavior of biological samples in space.
RESULTS
The dosimeters were distributed among 64
positions in the EXPOSE-E trays. Thirty-two of
them were placed as depth dose samples, close
to the biological samples, and the other 32
samples were positioned below the biological
samples, as dark samples. So far, only TLD results
can be presented. The daily dose (dark samples)
in tray 1 is varying from 0.22 to 0.36 mGy/day,
depending on the sample position. The higher
the position in the tray, the less shielding is
present, the higher the daily doses are. The same
effect is observed for tray 2, where daily doses
varied between 0.21 and 0.37 mGy/day, as well as
for the dark samples. Depth doses varied
between 0.33 and 0.21 mGy/day.The results presented here are preliminary results, since data for CR 39 measurements are still
missing. Moreover, a detailed comparison of the data obtained by the different groups need to
be made. In order to combine doses obtained with TLD's and CR 39 to one single dose, there is
need for an algorithm that takes the overlap for both detectors into account (TLD’s “see” a part
of the high LET spectrum as well).
PUBLICATION(S)
Vanhavere F, Genicot JL, O'Sullivan D, et al. DOsimetry of BIological Experiments in SPace
(DOBIES) with luminescence (OSL and TL) and track etch detectors. Radiation Measurements.
2008;43(2-6):694-697. doi:10.1016/j.radmeas.2007.12.002.
ISS020E022219 - Documentation of the
installation of the Dose Distribution Inside ISS
(DOSIS) in the Columbus module by the
Expedition 20 crew. View is of the DOSIS Main
box - with cables and connectors. NASA image.