Radiation exposure, cosmic
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The radiation reaching the earth from space is mostly of galactic and
only partly of solar origin. It is very rich in energy. This primary
cosmic radiation mainly consists of protons. Due to different interaction
processes in the outer layers of the atmosphere new radiation groups
are generated - photons, electrons, positrons, neutrons and muons. The
first radiation types form the "soft" secondary cosmic ray
component, the muons the penetrating "hard" secondary cosmic
ray component which can even be detected in deep mines. The influence
of the magnetic field of the earth on the primary cosmic radiation results
in a dependence of the secondary cosmic radiation on the geomagnetic
width. The intensity of the cosmic radiation depends extensively on
the altitude above sea level, since part of the radiation is absorbed
by the atmosphere. Taking all components of cosmic radiation into account,
this results in an annual radiation exposure of 0.3 mSv at sea level,
1.2 mSv at the Zugspitze (3000 m up in the Austrain Tyrol) and 2 mSv
in La Paz (Bolivia) situated at an altitude of 4,000 m.

Cosmic radiation exposure as a function of altitude
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