Eye light flashes on the Mir space station

Acta Astronaut. 2002 Apr;50(8):511-25. doi: 10.1016/s0094-5765(01)00190-4.

Abstract

The phenomenon of light flashes (LF) in eyes for people in space has been investigated onboard Mir. Data on particles hitting the eye have been collected with the SilEye detectors, and correlated with human observations. It is found that a nucleus in the radiation environment of Mir has roughly a 1% probability to cause an LF, whereas the proton probability is almost three orders of magnitude less. As a function of LET, the LF probability increases above 10 keV/micrometer, reaching about 5% at around 50 keV/micrometer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aerospace Medicine
  • Astronauts
  • Cosmic Radiation*
  • Eye / radiation effects*
  • Heavy Ions
  • Humans
  • Light*
  • Linear Energy Transfer
  • Male
  • Phosphenes
  • Protons
  • Radiation Monitoring / instrumentation*
  • Radiometry
  • Silicon
  • Solar Activity
  • Space Flight*
  • Time Factors
  • Vision, Ocular / radiation effects
  • Visual Perception / radiation effects*
  • Weightlessness

Substances

  • Protons
  • Silicon