Semi-empirical model to calculate potential radiation exposure on board airplane during solar particle events

Doses received on board airplane are now monitored in Europe in application of a new legislation. The French operational system, SIEVERT, has been developed to calculate doses due to galactic cosmic rays and to solar particles. Nevertheless, very few in-flight measurements have been performed during solar particle events and full calculations of solar cosmic ray effects are also rare. The semi-empirical model, SiGLE, is used on the basis of past observations of GLEs to provide a coherent picture of doses potentially received on board airplane. Potential exposure is calculated for a large number of routes during three typical GLEs of different amplitudes. It is given for two routes during the past GLEs observed since 1942. Results of SiGLE model are compared to other dose rate estimates available for a few GLEs, showing a reasonable agreement. The effect of severe geomagnetic storms on dose rate received during solar flares is also studied using SiGLE model.