Solar particle enhancements of single-event effect rates at aircraft altitudes

Data from space-borne detectors and ground-level neutron monitors, together with radiation transport codes, are applied to calculate the single-event effects environments in the atmosphere due to large solar particle events. Calculations are validated against data from Concorde and show the importance of allowing for the increased penetration of particles to lower latitudes during geomagnetic storms. For the solar particle events studied, high-latitude subsonic routes are shown to experience higher neutron fluxes than Concorde routes. Upset rates for typical commercial memories are calculated for a number of situations, and implications for aircrew dose are discussed.