Role of nuclear stars in the light flashes observed on Skylab 4. Scientific report no. 3, 1 May 1975--30 Apr 1976

Technical Report · Sat May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1976

OSTI ID:7322865

McNulty, P J; Filz, R C; Rothwell, P L

The astronauts on Skylab 4 observed bursts of intense visual light-flash activity when their spacecraft passed through the portion of the earth's inner trapped radiation belt known as the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA). Two experimental sessions were carried out on board Skylab which compare the flash rates with the measured flux of Z greater than or equal to 1 particles that would pass through the astronaut's eyes. It was concluded that the flash rates, which became as great as 20/minute, were anomalously high. The authors explored a number of alternative explanations for the anomalous flash rates that would be consistent with the accepted SAA flux values and the laboratory data on particle induced visual sensations and found that, when one includes the effect of nuclear interactions in and near the retina which result in star formation (the emission of slow protons, neutrons, and alphas from the nucleus in an evaporation-like process), the apparent anomaly is removed. (GRA)

• Research Organization: Emmanuel Coll., Boston, MA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7322865
• Report Number(s): AD-A-028733
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560151* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ASTRONAUTS
BARYONS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BODY
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EYES
FERMIONS
HADRONS
NEUTRONS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEONS
ORGANS
PERSONNEL
PROTONS
RADIATION BELTS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RETINA
SENSE ORGANS
SPACE FLIGHT
VISIBLE RADIATION