The role of nuclear fragmentations in high energy transfers to a micro-object exposed to primary space radiation

Abstract

This paper describes events of anomalously high energy transfer to a micro-object by fragments of nuclei generated in nuclear interactions in the environment on board a spacecraft in flight in low-Earth orbit. An algorithm has been developed that allows for the calculation of the absorbed energy from one or more fragments - products of nuclear interaction. With this algorithm the energy distributions for a spherical micro-volume in an aqueous medium were calculated. And the resulting absorbed energy spectra from nuclear fragments and from primary cosmic rays were compared. The role of nuclear interactions in events of large energy transfers in micro-objects in the field of primary cosmic radiation has been evaluated. The calculations performed in this study showed that the energy in a micro-volume from nuclear events can be several times higher compared to the energy imparted by primary space radiation.