Why is a dose of 1 Sievert (Sv) from GCRs biologically more damaging than 1 Sv from X-rays?
Answer
The density of ionization caused by GCRs is much higher.
The biological hazard is related to dose quality; GCRs deposit energy densely along their path (high ionization density), making the same measured dose significantly more biologically damaging than lower-energy X-rays.
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