Space Radiation Cosmic Rays, Gamma Background Radiation and the Solar Wind

Introduction

Space is a dangerous place. As well as the problems caused by huge

temperature fluctuations, a near-total vacuum and weightlessness, dangerous

amounts of radiation arrive from a range of sources near and far.

This Astro-Pi resource is suitable for students of Advanced-Level Physics, or for those students of

GCSE Physics who wish to take their study further. It puts ionising radiation into a space context;

describes the effect of radiation on human health, and looks at the practical issues relating to

protecting humans and electronic equipment during deep-space and near-Earth missions.

How to use this guide:

This teacher guide, and the resources that accompany it, can be used in different ways:

1. The resources listed below can be used to reinforce or replace existing curriculum materials

and approaches to learning. While GCSE and GCE specifications might vary, the activities

cover may core themes. This approach might be used as part of a thematic learning

experience, or over a series of sessions. This would give a thorough preparation for meeting

the challenges and entering the competition, regardless of prior learning.

2. Teachers can pick and choose which activities, resources and links to use and when – they

can effectively be used independently of each other. This might enhance the ways in which

space and wider physics topics are currently taught. If teachers have specific challenges in

mind that align with their interests and those of the students, learning activities might be

selectively chosen.

3. Teachers may wish to present students, in class or as part of an extra-curricular activity, with

the challenges only.

Please note – the challenges are merely suggestions, and schools are completely free to use

the AstroPi in any way they see fit to enter the competition.

Learning Activities

1. What is Radiation?

What is radiation? This ESA online lesson includes text and interactive media explaining the nature

of wave and particle radiation

And this ESA webpage, taking particle and wave radiation further, might be provided to students for

independent study.

To aid the students’ understanding of the diminishing effect of wave radiation over distance, some

classroom demonstrations and calculations of the inverse square law can be found here

2. The Sun as a Source of Radiation

This Catalyst Magazine article discusses the solar wind and its role in generating the auroras,

observable at extreme northern and southern latitudes.

This ESA webpage introduces the Solar facility on the ISS, which has been used to analyse solar

radiation that might cause damage to the ISS and its crew.

To aid understanding of the protection from ionised particles provided by the Earth’s magnetic field,

this ESA activity looks at the forces non charges within a field and relates it to Flemings Left Hand

Rule

3. Radiation from Deep Space

To appreciate the vast distances to sources of cosmic radiation, it may help students to understand

what is a light year.

This leaflet, which also opens up to a large wall display, then introduces cosmic rays and raises

questions about the sources of such radiation

Gamma rays are also observable as a diffuse background cosmic radiation. This activity introduces

Gamma Ray astronomy, including use of the Earth as a Gamma ray shield.

This resource relates to an ESA mission, Integral, designed to measure high-energy cosmic radiation

4. Protecting Humans from Space radiation

This ESA video explains the work of Italian physicist Edoardo Amaldi who discovered cosmic

radiation. It goes on to describe the challenges faced by his namesake the ISS Automated Transfer

Vehicle, and by other humans wishing to travel deeper into space, such as on the planned mission to

Mars

A more rigorous examination of the absorption and health effects of ionising radiation can be found

in this resource.

This NASA resource offers the opportunity to apply mathematical skills to the question of harmful

effects of radiation on the human body. It uses non-SI units (Rem), as opposed to SI unit (Sieverts)

for radiation exposure

This resource contextualises exposure to radiation from space, in comparison with other terrestrial

sources

Additional links:

Research paper on the viability of a CMOS-based radiation detector for smartphones

http://phys.org/news/2014-06-smartphone-detector-app-positive.html

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? The CMOS sensor in the Astro-Pi camera is sensitive to ionising electrons, which can cause flashes of light. Can this be used to measure space radiation?

Consider that the camera in your smartphone is also sensitive to these electrons, but the flashes are not seen in your videos – to crack this challenge you’ll need to understand why.

Image: ESA

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? The Sun is a significant source of radiation in space. As we get further from the protection of the Earth’s magnetic field the flux of particles increases. Is this affected as the ISS passes into the Earth’s shadow, where it might be shielded from the solar wind? Does this depend on latitude and other factors?

Image: ESA

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? Although they are protected from its most harmful effects, radiation can affect the health and well-being of astronauts aboard the ISS. Can you create a system that can assess their well-being at time of high and low solar wind flux?

Image: ESA

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? Solar maximum is the time, within an eleven year cycle, when solar activity such as flares and coronal mass ejections is at its highest. Some scientists think this is the most harmful time to be in space, while some measurements suggest it is the time of least radiation bombarding the ISS. Can you help decide the argument?

Image: ESA

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? The aurorae are a beautiful reminder of the impact of the solar wind on Earth’s atmosphere. Can you use this unique opportunity to capture images of the aurorae from space, to share with fellow Earthlings? Can the camera be triggered when the ISS is best-placed to photograph the aurorae?

Image: ESA