Using a Modern Radiation Dose Model to Investigate Exposure Rates During GLE73

Abstract

Abstract

Solar energetic particles (SEPs) are created by solar eruptions and their aftermath. These SEPs pose a significant space weather threat, as they can be accelerated to energies needed to penetrate the Earth’s magnetosphere and enter the atmosphere, where they increase the radiation environment at high altitudes, specifically endangering the health of aircrew and airline passengers. Secondary particles of the SEP-induced atmospheric cascades can reach the Earth’s surface where ground-based detectors, such as neutron monitors (NMs) can record them, when this occurs it is known as a ground-level enhancement (GLE). Solar cycle 25 had its first GLE on 28 October 2021, named GLE73. This GLE was mainly detected by NMs at the Antarctic plateau (SOPO and DOMC). In recent work, GLE73 has been analysed using a verified method and the NM data from the event to derive its spectral and anisotropic characteristics. Here, we present an application of said derived characteristics for GLE73 by using them as inputs into a newly developed radiation dose model for GLE events. This model was applied over the entire duration of the event resulting in a comparison between the relative increases in radiation dose and NM count rate for GLE73.