Comparison of the light flash phenomena observed in space and in laboratory experiments [report]

P. J. McNulty, V. P. Pease, V. P. Bond
1976 unpublished
to IMu* SUM mm «c Lanf Suss fa •Ml. npnt ot iifW. « ifiii^*l| <inrri» • run I it an akunBi^ia. i||»if».|»»««.-» ABSTRACT Astronauts on Apollo and Skylab missions have reported observing a variety of visual phenomena when their eyes were closed and adapted to darkness. These observations were studied under controlled conditions during a number of sessions on board Apollo and Skylab spacecraft and the data available to date on these so-called light flashes is in the form of descriptions of the
more » ... nomena and frequency of occurrence. Similar visual phenomena have been demonstrated in a number of laboratories by exposing the eyes of human subjects to beams of neutrons, alphas, pions, and protons. More than one physical mechanism is involved in the laboratory and space phenomena. No direct comparison of the laboratory and space observations has been made by observers who have experienced both. However, the range of visual phenomena observed in the laboratory is consistent with the Apollo and Skylab observations. Measured detection efficiencies can be used to estimate the frequencies with which various phenomena would be observed if that subject was exposed to cosmic rays in space.
doi:10.2172/7312082 fatcat:r4vpmm7vwzbyll7qa65lzxirfq