A quartz fiber electrometer (QFE) dosimeter system has been designed, developed, and tested to demonstrate the applicability of small dosimeters of the Neher type for use as space qualified instruments. The electrometer consists of a 3 mm diamtimes;30 mm cylindrical quartz rod partially coated with Au, and a 10 mgr; diam quartz fiber coated with Signahyphen;Kote to a resistance between 0.25 and 1.5 MOHgr;sol;cm. The 9 cm3tissue equivalent ionization chamber is filled with 1 atm of C2H4, and consists of the automatic recycling QFE inside a 112 mgsol;cm2Signahyphen;Kote coated Delrin electrode and a 103 mgsol;cm2Al case. Eight design verification units with various electrometer properties were subjected to tests involving calibration with60Co for five decades of dose rate, temperature variation from minus;40 to plus;82deg;C, simulated mission vibration and shock, orientation in the earth's gravity field, and gas leakage. The performance of the instruments indicates that they can indeed be developed into meritorious space qualified radiation dosimeters.
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