Analysis of the absorbed dose measurements outside the MIR space station in June–July 1991

The paper contains data about measurements of the absorbed dose attenuation curve with thin thermoluminescent detectors in a flight of the MIR Space Station in June–July 1991, i.e. in the period of existence of a “new” belt of trapped radiation that supposedly emerged on 24 March 1991. For X < 0.03 g/cm 2, dose rate was shown to exceed 1 Gy/day conforming with calculations using model descriptions. Some methodical aspects associated with the use of U.S. and Russian models of trapped radiation are discussed. Comparison of experimental data concerning absorbed doses with calculations based on the model descriptions of the radiation environment of near-Earth space reveal a 2–3-fold excess of the experimental measurements over the theoretical values obtained for AE8 at 0.03 < 0.3 g/cm 2 and for the Russian model at 0.05 < 0.15 g/cm 2. This difference may be related to the input of a “new” belt of quasi-trapped particles disregarded in current models.