What is the key difference in exposure between an astronaut in deep space and someone at sea level on Earth?
Answer
Astronauts face the full intensity of GCRs, while surface dwellers receive attenuated secondary particles
Astronauts outside Earth's protective layers are exposed to the full spectrum of high-energy GCRs, whereas those on the surface are largely exposed only to the smaller, secondary debris generated after the primaries interact with the atmosphere.
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