Abstract
Health risks from radiation exposure in space are an important factor for astronauts’ safety as they venture on long-duration missions to the Moon or Mars. It is important to assess the radiation level inside the human brain to evaluate the possible hazardous effects on the central nervous system especially during solar energetic particle (SEP) events. We use a realistic model of the head/brain structure and calculate the radiation deposit therein by realistic SEP events, also under various shielding scenarios. We then determine the relation between the radiation dose deposited in different parts of the brain and the properties of the SEP events and obtain some simple and ready-to-use functions which can be used to quickly and reliably forecast the event dose in the brain. Such a novel tool can be used from fast nowcasting of the consequences of SEP events to optimization of shielding systems and other mitigation strategies of astronauts in space.
Highlights
The dose-fluence relationships are shown for proton in different energies for each scenario to determine the best correlation coefficient, and the pivot energy
Using this function and parameter for each scenario, one can quickly calculate the SEP events induced dose at a certain part of the brain or the human head considering the different thickness of shielding around, given the intensity of the SEP events at the pivot energy
These results show that the pivot energy in the a human head with 10 cm of Al as a shield is about 300 MeV, which is the same as the pivot energy on the surface of Mars with ∼ 22 g/cm2 of vertical column depth of CO239
Summary
The dose-fluence relationships are shown for proton in different energies for each scenario to determine the best correlation coefficient, and the pivot energy. Using this function and parameter for each scenario, one can quickly calculate the SEP events induced dose at a certain part of the brain or the human head considering the different thickness of shielding around, given the intensity of the SEP events at the pivot energy.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
