Development of personal neutron dosemeters at the PTB and first measurements in the space station MIR

A passive neutron dosemeter with thermoluminescence and etched-track detect ors was used in the space station MIR in 1995 acid 1997 and during some shu ttle flights to MIR. High neutron doses of about 200 mu Sv d(-1) were measu red with track detectors, while the contribution of protons to the track de nsity was estimated to be small. An active personal dosemeter based on sili con diodes providing a direct readout, improved sensitivity and spectrometr ic properties is proposed for additional monitoring. Firstly, measurements with a prototype were performed in the stray radiation fields of the CERN-E U Reference Radiation Facility. When mounted on a phantom at different posi tions, both the passive and the active dosemeter provide the directional di stribution of neutrons via an unfolding procedure. This can be helpful for a better understanding of the complex radiation field in space and for comp arisons with calculations. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserv ed.