Pioneer 10 and 11 Jovian encounters: radiation dose and biological lethality.
In their recent Jupiter flybys Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 passed through a belt of intense particulate radiation. For Pioneer 10 the radiation dose on the craft's outer surface was at least 5 x 10(5) rads from electrons plus 1.0 x 10(6) rads from protons; the radiation dose inside the craft (0.3 cm aluminum) was approximately 4.5 x 10(5) rads. For Pioneer 11 the surface dose was at least 1.3 x 10(5) rads from electrons plus 3 x 10(5) rads from protons; the interior radiation dose was approximately 1.2 x 10(5) rads. Significant survival of microbial spores would be possible at these calculated doses; however, even the interior dose of Pioneer 11 would be lethal to man and most multicellular biological organisms.
Miller
M W
MW
Dept. Radiation Biology and Biophysics, University of Rochester, NY, USA.
Kaufman
G E
GE
Maillie
H D
HD
D003359:Cosmic Radiation; D004583:Electrons; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D018538:Jupiter; D018499:Linear Energy Transfer; D011522:Protons; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011835:Radiation Protection; D013026:Space Flight / Q000295:instrumentation*; D018531:Spacecraft / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000528:radiation effects
D011522:Protons