A tool for estimating aviation route doses and cumulative spectra of secondary cosmic rays in the atmosphere

Absolute intensities and energy spectra of secondary cosmic rays in the atmosphere are complex and depend on numerous factors, mainly including altitude, geomagnetic latitude, and solar activity. Numerical models and simulations are indispensable for reliable evaluation of radiation exposure to aircraft crew and radiation effects on electronics. Based on a series of FLUKA simulations of atmospheric showers caused by galactic cosmic rays, a global database containing energy spectra and effective dose rates of neutrons, protons, muons, pions, electrons, positrons, and photons at various altitudes ranging from sea level up to 70 km was constructed and parameterized accounting for altitude, geomagnetic rigidity, and solar modulation. To facilitate estimating aviation route doses and cumulative spectra of various radiation components, an auxiliary program with a graphical user interface was developed based on interpolation and integration. Running the program with the database becomes a user-friendly tool for assessing radiation exposure of air travel due to galactic cosmic rays over given flight routes. The cumulative spectra of various components can provide additional information for in-depth analyses of dosimetry and experimental designs for measuring related quantities. Development and demonstrations of this tool are presented.