Upgrade of GLE database: Assessment of effective dose rate at flight altitude

A new database for assessment of radiation doses at cruise flight altitude in the Earth atmosphere, related to ground level enhancement (GLE) events is created under VarSiTi/SCOSTEP support and incorporated to the International ground level enhancement (GLE) database (gle.oulu.fi). The upgraded database provides, for each GLE event, where possible, information on the estimated energy/rigidity spectra of solar energetic particles and the corresponding computed effective doses at cruise flight altitude of 35 kft (10,668 m above sea level). The computations are performed for various reconstructions of solar energetic particles spectra, available in literature, thus for some events there are several results. Computations were performed using a recent model for assessment of effective dose due to cosmic ray particles, applied specifically in the polar region, where the exposure is maximal. This upgrade allows one to estimate the radiation effects at cruise flight altitude caused by major GLE events over several decades.