Cosmic dosimetry using TLD aboard spacecrafts of the "Cosmos" series.

Abstract Thermoluminescent (TL) detectors were used for dosimetric investigations on the outer surface as well as inside Soviet spacecrafts of the “Cosmos” series. At the outer surface, ultrathin TL detectors, based on CaF 2 -PTFE and LiF, were arranged in special stacks and exposed to unshielded cosmic radiation. The strong decrease of dose within a few mg/cm 2 demonstrates that weakly penetrating radiation is dominating in the radiation field under investigation. On the basis of glow curve analysis of LiF thermoluminescent detectors it could be shown, that the high doses are caused by electrons.