TLDR
Radiation levels on airplanes change depending on where and how high the plane is flying, and pilots can lower exposure by choosing different routes or flying lower when needed.
Summary
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1 Study Aim
The main goal of this paper is to present real-time measurements of radiation levels at commercial airplane altitudes using the Automated Radiation Measurements for Aerospace Safety (ARMAS) system. The authors aim to show how radiation exposure varies by altitude, latitude, and space weather conditions, and to suggest ways to manage radiation risks for aviation safety. Flying higher or closer to the poles increases radiation exposure, so tracking these changes helps keep flights safer.
2 Study Design
The research uses data collected from six ARMAS instruments flown on 213 commercial flights between 2013 and 2016, reaching up to 17.3 km (56,700 ft) altitude. These instruments measure the ambient dose equivalent rate (the amount of radiation relevant to human tissue) and send the data to the ground in real time with a five-minute delay. The study analyzes five example flights, focusing on how radiation levels change with altitude, latitude, and during different space weather events. Researchers put radiation sensors on many flights to see how much radiation people are exposed to at different heights and places.
3 Findings
The study reveals that most radiation at flight altitudes comes from galactic cosmic rays (high-energy particles from space), but levels can increase during geomagnetic disturbances (changes in Earth's magnetic field). Small regions with higher radiation, called 'clouds,' were found at certain magnetic latitudes. At 37,000 ft (about 11 km), high-latitude flights expose passengers to the same radiation as a chest X-ray every 12.5 hours, while midlatitude flights take 25 hours, and equatorial flights take 100 hours for the same dose. Radiation levels double with every 2 km increase in altitude. The authors recommend that pilots and air traffic controllers treat high-radiation areas like volcanic ash clouds, adjusting flight paths or altitudes to reduce exposure when needed. Radiation is higher on flights that go farther north or fly higher, so changing routes or flying lower can help keep people safer.