Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Solar flare proton evaluation at geostationary orbits for engineering applications

Journal Article · · IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/23.490756· OSTI ID:242420
;  [1];  [2]; ; ;  [3]
  1. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Greenbelt, MD (United States). Goddard Space Flight Center
  2. Radiation Effects Consultants, West Long Branch, NJ (United States)
  3. SES, Inc., Greenbelt, MD (United States)

This work presents the results of novel analyses of spacecraft solar flare proton measurements for solar cycles 20, 21, and 22. Solar events and cycles were classified and ranked by fluence and frequency of occurrence, and events were characterized by the mean energy of the proton spectral distributions. Spacecraft observations permitted a detailed study of event characteristics, such as special consideration of solar minimum flares and cycle variability. Tables and curves are presented to allow evaluations of potential threats to spacecraft survivability at GEO, particularly for types of flare environments that emulate solar cycle 22. Upsets for major events are calculated for several Bendel A parameter values and shield thicknesses, and effective energy thresholds of events are determined as a function of these variables. Critical fluence levels, required to cause errors, versus A are presented. SEU`s (single event upsets) of 93L422 devices on TDRS-1 are evaluated for various shielding conditions. Finally, upset dependencies on A and shield thickness are correlated with event fluences for threshold energies of >30, >50, and >60 MeV.

OSTI ID:
242420
Journal Information:
IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, Journal Name: IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 43; ISSN 0018-9499; ISSN IETNAE
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Solar particle induced upsets in the TDRS-1 attitude control system RAM during the October 1989 solar particle events
Journal Article · Sun Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1995 · IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science · OSTI ID:131648

Verification of single-event-upset rate-estimation methods with on-orbit observations. Technical report
Technical Report · Mon Jun 20 00:00:00 EDT 1988 · OSTI ID:7089474

Verification of single event upset rate estimation methods with on-orbit observations
Conference · Mon Nov 30 23:00:00 EST 1987 · IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.; (United States) · OSTI ID:7000144