Protons Interaction with Nomex Target: Secondary Radiation from a Monte Carlo Simulation with Geant4

Abstract

The study of suitable materials to shield astronauts from Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) is a topic of fundamental importance. The choice of the material must take into account both the secondary radiation produced by the interaction between primary radiation and material and its shielding ability. The physics case presented here deals with the interaction of a proton beam with a Nomex shield, namely, a target material with a mass thickness of 20 g cm−2. The study was conducted with the simulation code DOSE based on the well-known simulation package Geant4. This article shows the properties of secondary radiations produced in the target by the interaction of a proton beam in an energy range characterizing the GCR spectrum. We observed the production of ions of masses and charges lower than the chemical elements that make up Nomex, and also a significant production of neutrons, protons, and 𝛼 particles.

Radioprotection for Astronauts’ Missions: Numerical Results on the Nomex Shielding Effectiveness

“…This work follows a series of works on this topic, which were carried out considering several shield materials and the protons as the most abundant component of GCRs (about 87%). As anticipated in the previous work, reported in [ 18 ], the study conducted in this paper is its natural continuation. In the DOSE code developed based on the Geant4 tool, the electromagnetic and hadronic physical models of the interactions were implemented, as described in detail in previous works [ 19 , 20 ].…”

“…The GCR CREME96 model [ 15 ] implemented in SPENVIS is based on the Nymmik model. This is a semiempirical model and describes the flux variations in the particles that make up the GCR by defining certain parameters [ 16 , 17 , 18 ]. The energy spectra of GCRs can be sampled with a Monte Carlo method and, using transport codes such as Geant4, it is possible to implement a code for the nuclear interactions between such GCRs and the shield, and the transport the reaction produces using this shield.…”

“…In the DOSE code developed based on the Geant4 tool, the electromagnetic and hadronic physical models of the interactions were implemented, as described in detail in previous works [ 19 , 20 ]. Here, we show the results of extending such works to the proton–shield interaction by considering the whole proton range, instead of few energies only (50, 100, 200, 500, 800 and ~1000 MeV), as in [ 18 ], to evaluate the properties of the secondary radiation produced in the target by the interactions between a beam of protons in an energy range that characterizes the GCR spectrum. The aim of the present work is to provide an estimate of the dose established due to the secondary radiation produced in the shield, during the whole proton energy range, and when exiting the shield.…”

“…As in Ref. [ 18 ], the present study was performed using the Nomex material as a shield and considering its molecular constitution. This is a heat- and flame-resistant meta-aramid fiber used in a wide range of applications, especially fabrics used to make protective clothing.…”

Model for Sustainable Financial Planning and Investment Financing Using Monte Carlo Method

“…The reason is its modification to current conditions and the usability of modern software tools, which leads to its wide applicability in various scientific disciplines. The Monte Carlo method is currently used in the field of physics and electrical engineering [26][27][28][29], chemistry [30,31], safety assessment [32], industry [33,34], public sector [35], economy [36][37][38][39], and others. We most often encounter the Monte Carlo method in simulations in economics, e.g., in option pricing, financial decisionmaking, etc.…”