High-energy Particle Radiation Research Articles

A comprehensive research on γ-ray and particle radiation interaction parameters of Cerium doped heavy oxide inorganic scintillators

In this study, the interaction cross sections of heavy oxide scintillators, which have a very important place in high energy physics research, with photon and particle radiation were comparatively investigated. In this context, the interaction parameters of six different Ce-doped heavy oxide scintillators were obtained using updated software. The interactions of photons with energies between 1 keV and 100 GeV with scintillators were evaluated in the light of the results produced by the Phy-X/PSD software. In addition to the continuous energy range, calculations were also made on the photon energies emitted with the highest probability of emission from sources 241Am (59.54 keV), 133Ba (356 keV), 22Na (511 and 1280 keV), 137Cs (662 keV) and 152Eu (1460 keV). Additionally, evaluations of energy absorption build-up factors valid under broad beam conditions are also included in this study. Fast neutron absorption cross sections and changes in the range (R) values for heavy particle radiation in the range of 1 keV–20 MeV were also determined with SRIM and ESTAR software. All data obtained depending on energy are explained according to the mass percentages of Lu, Gd, Hf, Y, Al and O elements in the scintillators. The highest interaction cross section for photons was obtained in the Lu2Gd2SiO5 (Ce 0.3%) scintillator (HOS2). The interaction cross section of this scintillator was obtained as 3.115 and 0.042 cm2/g at 0.1 MeV and 10 MeV photon energies, respectively. On the other hand, the highest cross-sections of the fast neutrons were observed in the scintillator (HOS5) containing GdAlO3 (Ce 1.0%) as 0.148 cm−1. This difference in neutron radiation has been explained by calculating the individual attenuation abilities of the elements in the structures. It is hoped that the data obtained will guide researchers working on the detection of different types of radiation.

A Review of Approaches for Mitigating Effects from Variable Operational Environments on Piezoelectric Transducers for Long-Term Structural Health Monitoring.

Extending the service life of ageing infrastructure, transportation structures, and processing and manufacturing plants in an era of limited resources has spurred extensive research and development in structural health monitoring systems and their integration. Even though piezoelectric transducers are not the only sensor technology for SHM, they are widely used for data acquisition from, e.g., wave-based or vibrational non-destructive test methods such as ultrasonic guided waves, acoustic emission, electromechanical impedance, vibration monitoring or modal analysis, but also provide electric power via local energy harvesting for equipment operation. Operational environments include mechanical loads, e.g., stress induced deformations and vibrations, but also stochastic events, such as impact of foreign objects, temperature and humidity changes (e.g., daily and seasonal or process-dependent), and electromagnetic interference. All operator actions, correct or erroneous, as well as unintentional interference by unauthorized people, vandalism, or even cyber-attacks, may affect the performance of the transducers. In nuclear power plants, as well as in aerospace, structures and health monitoring systems are exposed to high-energy electromagnetic or particle radiation or (micro-)meteorite impact. Even if environmental effects are not detrimental for the transducers, they may induce large amounts of non-relevant signals, i.e., coming from sources not related to changes in structural integrity. Selected issues discussed comprise the durability of piezoelectric transducers, and of their coupling and mounting, but also detection and elimination of non-relevant signals and signal de-noising. For long-term service, developing concepts for maintenance and repair, or designing robust or redundant SHM systems, are of importance for the reliable long-term operation of transducers for structural health monitoring.

Luminescence and light yield of Ce3+-doped (60−x)SiO2-xBaF2-20Al2O3-20Gd2O3 scintillation glasses: The effect of BaF2 admixture

Ce3+-doped dense glasses with high light yield (LY) are promising scintillators for use in high-energy particle physics research and radiation sensors for high-energy X- and γ- ray detection. In this work, Ce3+-doped (60-x)SiO2-xBaF2-20Al2O3-20Gd2O3 oxyfluoride glasses have been prepared under a CO reducing atmosphere. Substitution of SiO2 by BaF2 has been made to increase the density, and the effects on luminescence and scintillation properties have been investigated. The amorphous nature of the prepared glass is confirmed by the XRD profile showing an absence of any diffraction peaks. The broad photoluminescence (PL) emission band of the Ce3+ 5d–4f transition in the 330–580 nm range is observed peaking around 385 nm and the PL decay is governed in the range of 46–53 ns decay time. The 10 mol% BaF2 glass with density of 4.54 g/cm3 shows the highest LY value of 1590 photons/MeV and energy resolution of 16.5% in the pulse height spectrum of 662 keV γ rays, and the LY of 141 photons/MeV and energy resolution of 21.7% in the pulse height spectrum of 5.5 MeV α particles.

High-energy proton detector based on semiconductor telescope

Abstract Space radiation particles will cause a variety of radiation effects on orbiting satellites, such as single event effects, total ionizing dose, displacement damage, etc. In response to these space radiation effects, BeiDou Navigation satellites M15/M16 operating in medium earth orbit (MEO) developed the first integrated monitor for high-energy proton and particle radiation effects, based on space particle radiation detection technology. This payload realizes the joint observation of the high-energy proton environment, particle radiation linear energy transfer spectrum, and total radiation dose in the MEO. According to the detection data, research on the characteristics and laws of the space particle radiation effects can be carried out, and the problem of spacecraft reliability verification in orbit can be solved from the causal chain. In this article, we have introduced the high-energy proton detector (energy range 3–300 MeV), including technical indicators, working principles, instrument design, and ground calibration.

High-Energy, Whole-Body Proton Irradiation Differentially Alters Long-Term Brain Pathology and Behavior Dependent on Sex and Alzheimer’s Disease Mutations

Whole-body exposure to high-energy particle radiation remains an unmitigated hazard to human health in space. Ongoing experiments at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory and elsewhere repeatedly show persistent changes in brain function long after exposure to simulations of this unique radiation environment, although, as is also the case with proton radiotherapy sequelae, how this occurs and especially how it interacts with common comorbidities is not well-understood. Here, we report modest differential changes in behavior and brain pathology between male and female Alzheimer's-like and wildtype littermate mice 7-8 months after exposure to 0, 0.5, or 2 Gy of 1 GeV proton radiation. The mice were examined with a battery of behavior tests and assayed for amyloid beta pathology, synaptic markers, microbleeds, microglial reactivity, and plasma cytokines. In general, the Alzheimer's model mice were more prone than their wildtype littermates to radiation-induced behavior changes, and hippocampal staining for amyloid beta pathology and microglial activation in these mice revealed a dose-dependent reduction in males but not in females. In summary, radiation-induced, long-term changes in behavior and pathology, although modest, appear specific to both sex and the underlying disease state.

Long-Term Sex- and Genotype-Specific Effects of 56Fe Irradiation on Wild-Type and APPswe/PS1dE9 Transgenic Mice.

Space radiation presents a substantial threat to travel beyond Earth. Relatively low doses of high-energy particle radiation cause physiological and behavioral impairments in rodents and may pose risks to human spaceflight. There is evidence that 56Fe irradiation, a significant component of space radiation, may be more harmful to males than to females and worsen Alzheimer’s disease pathology in genetically vulnerable models. Yet, research on the long-term, sex- and genotype-specific effects of 56Fe irradiation is lacking. Here, we irradiated 4-month-old male and female, wild-type and Alzheimer’s-like APP/PS1 mice with 0, 0.10, or 0.50 Gy of 56Fe ions (1GeV/u). Mice underwent microPET scans before and 7.5 months after irradiation, a battery of behavioral tests at 11 months of age and were sacrificed for pathological and biochemical analyses at 12 months of age. 56Fe irradiation worsened amyloid-beta (Aβ) pathology, gliosis, neuroinflammation and spatial memory, but improved motor coordination, in male transgenic mice and worsened fear memory in wild-type males. Although sham-irradiated female APP/PS1 mice had more cerebral Aβ and gliosis than sham-irradiated male transgenics, female mice of both genotypes were relatively spared from radiation effects 8 months later. These results provide evidence for sex-specific, long-term CNS effects of space radiation.

Study on Environmental Characteristics Of Jupiter System And Spacecraft Protection Design

The Jovian system exploration is one of the important fields of deep space exploration in China in the future. The environments in Jupiter’s system are very complex. The exploration of the environments in Jupiter’s system is an important scientific goal. Besides that, the impact of space environment on the spacecraft is also a key factor that restricting the mission design. In this study, the characteristics and research status of gravity field, magnetic field, atmosphere/exosphere, electromagnetic radiation, high-energy particle radiation, plasma, and meteoroids in Jupiter’s system are analyzed. The gravity field model is an important basis for the design of the orbit and propulsion subsystem and the redundant model needs to be built. Jupiter strong magnetic field constraints the design of sensitive electromagnetic equipment in control subsystem. The main sources of electromagnetic radiation in Jupiter’s orbit include solar radiation, Jupiter/Satellite reflection radiation, and Jupiter infrared radiation. The exospheres of Jupiter’s moons are thin but include different kinds of atoms. The flux of plasma and high-energy particles in Jupiter’s orbit is much higher than that in Earth’s orbit. They can produce a variety of radiation effects. Among these the focus of protection is total dose and internal charging. The sources of meteoroids include interplanetary and Jupiter system. The risk of surface degradation or breakdown caused by collision between meteoroids and spacecraft should be avoided.

Acceleration of Charged Particles in Astrophysical Plasmas

The origin of high-energy particles in the Universe is one of the key issues of high-energy solar physics, space science, astrophysics, and particle astrophysics. Charged particles in astrophysical plasmas can be accelerated to very high energies by electric fields. Based on the characteristics of interactions between charged particles and electric fields carried by the background plasma, the mechanisms of charged particle acceleration can be divided into several groups: resonant interactions between plasma waves and particles, acceleration by electric fields parallel to magnetic fields, and acceleration caused by drift of the guiding center of particle gyro-motion around magnetic fields in magnetic field in-homogeneity-related curvature and gradient, etc. According to macroscopic energy conversion mechanisms leading to acceleration of particles, several theories of particle acceleration have been developed: stochastic particle acceleration by turbulent electromagnetic fields, diffusive shock acceleration of particles, and particle acceleration during magnetic re-connections. These theories have their own assumptions and characteristics and find applications in different astrophysical contexts. With advances in high-energy astrophysical observations and in combination with analyses of characteristics of high-energy particle acceleration and radiation, we can better understand the underlying physical processes in dramatically evolving astrophysical environments.

Recent progress on particle acceleration and reconnection physics during magnetic reconnection in the magnetically-dominated relativistic regime

Magnetic reconnection in strongly magnetized astrophysical plasma environments is believed to be the primary process for fast energy release and particle energization. Currently, there is strong interest in relativistic magnetic reconnection in that it may provide a new explanation for high-energy particle acceleration and radiation in strongly magnetized astrophysical systems. We review recent advances in particle acceleration and reconnection physics in the magnetically dominated regime. Much discussion is focused on the physics of particle acceleration and power-law formation as well as the reconnection rate problem. In addition, we provide an outlook for studying reconnection acceleration mechanisms and kinetic physics in the next step.

Heavy ion space radiation triggers ongoing DNA base damage by downregulating DNA repair pathways

Long-duration space missions outside low earth orbit will expose astronauts to a cumulative dose of high-energy particle radiation especially to highly damaging heavy ion radiation, which poses considerable risk to astronauts’ health. The purpose of the current study was to quantitatively identify oxidatively induced DNA base modifications and assess status of the repair pathways involved in removing the modified bases in mouse intestinal cells after exposure to γ-rays and iron radiation. Mice (C57BL/6J; 6 to 8 weeks; female) were exposed to 0.5 Gy of either γ-rays or iron radiation and control mice were sham-irradiated. Intestinal tissues were collected 2 months after radiation. DNA base lesions were measured using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with isotope‑dilution. Base excision repair (BER) and nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathways were assessed using PCR and immunoblotting. Effects of iron radiation were compared to γ-rays and sham-irradiated controls. Exposure to iron radiation resulted in significantly higher levels of several DNA base lesions relative to control animals and those exposed to γ radiation. Assessment of BER and NER showed downregulation of pathway factors both at the RNA as well as at the protein levels. Our results not only provide important insight into DNA damage pattern in intestinal cells in response to iron radiation, but they also confirm our previous immunohistochemistry data on oxidatively induced DNA damage. We suggest that downregulation of the BER and NER pathways is contributing to ongoing DNA base damages long time after radiation exposure and has implications for chronic diseases including gastrointestinal diseases after heavy ion radiation exposure during space travel.

Effects of single-dose protons or oxygen ions on function and structure of the cardiovascular system in male Long Evans rats

PurposeStudies are required to determine whether exposures to radiation encountered during manned missions in deep space may have adverse effects on the cardiovascular system. Most of the prior studies on effects of simulated space radiation on the heart and vasculature have been performed in mouse models. To provide data from a second animal species, two studies were performed to assess effects of high-energy charged particle radiation on the heart and abdominal aorta in a rat model. Materials and methodsIn study A, male Long Evans rats were exposed to whole-body protons (250 MeV, 0.5 Gy) or oxygen ions (16O, 600 MeV/n, 0.5 Gy), and ultrasonography was used to measure in vivo cardiac function and blood flow parameters at 3, 5, 9 and 12 months after radiation, followed by tissue collection at 12 months. In study B, male Long Evans rats were exposed to 16O (1 GeV/n, 0.01-0.25 Gy), and hearts collected at 6 to 7 and 12 months for histology and western-blots. ResultsBoth protons (250 MeV) and 16O (600 MeV/n) caused a decrease in left ventricular posterior wall thickness at 3-5 months, but did not change echocardiographic measures of cardiac function. In Pulsed-wave Doppler assessment of the abdominal aorta, an increase was seen in mean velocity, peak velocity, and velocity time integral at 12 months after 16O (600 MeV/n), suggesting a change in vascular function. There were no significant changes in histopathology or histological quantification of total collagens in heart or aorta. On the other hand, an increase was seen in a 75 kDa peptide of collagen type III in the left ventricle of rats exposed to protons (250 MeV) and 16O (600 MeV/n and 1 GeV/n), suggesting that radiation caused remodeling of existing collagens in the heart. 16O (600 MeV/n and 1 GeV/n) caused increases in left ventricular protein levels of immune cell markers CD2, CD4, CD8, and CD68. ConclusionA single low dose of whole body protons or 16O in male Long Evans rats did not change cardiac function or induce gross pathological changes in the heart or aorta, but induced mild changes in vascular function and remodeling of existing collagens in the heart. Altogether, studies in prior mouse models and the current work in rats indicate minor changes in cardiac function and structure after a low dose of single-ion radiation.

Mitigation of Vacuum and Illumination-Induced Degradation in Perovskite Solar Cells by Structure Engineering

Summary High specific power, high stowed packing efficiency, low processing cost, and high tolerance against environmental threats (high energy and charged particle radiation) make perovskite solar cell (PSC) a promising candidate for power generation in space. However, vacuum, as encountered in space, causes perovskite outgassing, raising concern for its long-term stability. In this work, we find that PSCs (ITO/SnO2/perovskite/Spiro-MeOTAD/Au) degrade ten times faster upon reducing the pressure from 9 × 104 to 5 × 103 Pa during operation, due to acceleration of the perovskite transformation and ion migration. Gas permeability of the layers atop perovskite and mobile ion-induced chemical reactions at charge transporting layers and related interfaces are two critical factors. We develop a PSC structure (ITO/PTAA/perovskite/PCBM/ZnO/AZO/[Ni/Al grid]) that effectively mitigates vacuum and illumination-induced degradation pathways, enabling PSCs to realize a low PCE loss rate of 0.007%/h over 1,037 h at the maximum power point under 100 mW cm−2 illumination at 5 × 103 Pa.

Radiation Tolerant Nanowire Array Solar Cells.

Space power systems require photovoltaics that are lightweight, efficient, reliable, and capable of operating for years or decades in space environment. Current solar panels use planar multijunction, III-V based solar cells with very high efficiency, but their specific power (power to weight ratio) is limited by the added mass of radiation shielding (e.g., coverglass) required to protect the cells from the high-energy particle radiation that occurs in space. Here, we demonstrate that III-V nanowire-array solar cells have dramatically superior radiation performance relative to planar solar cell designs and show this for multiple cell geometries and materials, including GaAs and InP. Nanowire cells exhibit damage thresholds ranging from ∼10-40 times higher than planar control solar cells when subjected to irradiation by 100-350 keV protons and 1 MeV electrons. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we show that this improvement is due in part to a reduction in the displacement density within the wires arising from their nanoscale dimensions. Radiation tolerance, combined with the efficient optical absorption and the improving performance of nanowire photovoltaics, indicates that nanowire arrays could provide a pathway to realize high-specific-power, substrate-free, III-V space solar cells with substantially reduced shielding requirements. More broadly, the exceptional reduction in radiation damage suggests that nanowire architectures may be useful in improving the radiation tolerance of other electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Constraining the Radio Emission of TRAPPIST-1

TRAPPIST-1 is an ultracool dwarf (UCD) with a system of 7 terrestrial planets, at least three of which orbit in the habitable zone. The radio emission of such low-mass stars is poorly understood; few UCDs have been detected at radio frequencies at all, and the likelihood of detection is only loosely correlated with stellar properties. Relative to other low-mass stars, UCDs with slow rotation such as TRAPPIST-1 tend to be radio dim, whereas rapidly rotating UCDs tend to have strong radio emission - although this is not always the case. We present radio observations of TRAPPIST-1 using ALMA at 97.5 GHz and the VLA at 44 GHz. TRAPPIST-1 was not detected at either frequency and we place $3 \sigma$ upper flux limits of 10.6 and 16.2 $\mu$Jy, respectively. We use our results to constrain the magnetic properties and possible outgoing high energy particle radiation from the star. The presence of radio emission from UCDs is indicative of a stellar environment that could pose a threat to life on surrounding planets. Gyrosynchrotron emission, discernible at frequencies between 20 and 100 GHz, is one of the only processes that can be used to infer the presence of high energy particles released during magnetic reconnection events. Since M dwarfs are frequent hosts of terrestrial planets, characterizing their stellar emission is a crucial part of assessing habitability. Exposure to outgoing high energy particle radiation - traceable by radio flux - can erode planetary atmospheres. While our results do not imply that the TRAPPIST-1 planets are suitable for life, we find no evidence that they are overtly unsuitable due to proton fluxes.

A fast gain calibration algorithm for beam position monitoring

A stable, reliable and well-calibrated beam position monitor (BPM) system is essential for a safe and reproducible operation of accelerators. The BPM system enables the measurement of important machine and beam parameters, such as the Twiss parameters, and helps to avoid damage to accelerator components by high-energy particle beams or radiation. In this paper, we discuss a new BPM calibration scheme tested at the Taiwan Photon Source (TPS). By altering the current in a single horizontal or vertical corrector magnet, we generate an orbit distortion with respect to the nominal reference orbit. The difference orbit is measured by observing the change of the beam position at each BPM pickup location as a function of the corrector current. The analog BPM signals are digitized by analog-to-digital converters (ADC), giving raw, non-calibrated beam position data for each BPM. By comparison of the beam orbit response in terms of raw ADC data from each BPM with the expected beam displacement we can calibrate the beam position monitors. Moreover, because of limited setup time available after a long shutdown, this new procedure acts as a fast, easy way to calibrate the BPM system.

A novel space target-tracking method based on generalized Gaussian distribution for on-orbit maintenance robot in Tiangong-2 space laboratory

Accurate target tracking based on visual images is the key for intelligent robots to assist or replace astronauts to work in space station. However, the special space environment such as non-uniform illumination and high-energy particle radiation is a huge challenge, which may lead to complex noise coupling in vision image. This paper proposes a novel method for accurate target tracking, the essence of which is the Retinex image enhancement algorithm in CIELAB color space (LAB-GRetinex) and the generalized maximum correntropy Kalman filter (GMCKF) which are all based on generalized Gaussian distribution. The LAB-GRetinex algorithm chooses the CIELAB color space, which is closer to the human vision, as the processing color space, and the generalized Gaussian distribution can estimate the light image accurately, so the influence of non-uniform illumination can be reduced effectively. Meanwhile, the GMCKF algorithm adopts the generalized correntropy criterion based on the generalized Gaussian distribution to replace the minimum mean square error (MMSE) criterion to realize the optimal filtering effect under the complex non-Gaussian noise, which can improve the target tracking accuracy. Sufficient ground simulation experiments and application experiments in the Tiangong-2 space laboratory verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm which can track the target accurately in the special space environment and provide the precise pose information for on-orbit robot maintenance verification. This research lays a technical foundation for the application of intelligent robot in the construction and operation on space station in the future.

Radiation-Induced Leakage Current and Electric Field Enhancement in CMOS Image Sensor Sense Node Floating Diffusions

This paper investigates the leakage currents as well as the leakage current Random Telegraph Signals (RTSs) sources in sense node floating diffusions (FDs) and their consequences on imaging performances specifically after exposure to high-energy particle radiation. Atomic displacement damage and ionization effects are separately studied thanks to neutron and X-ray irradiations. Proton irradiations have been performed to simultaneously study displacement damage dose (DDD) and total ionizing dose (TID) effects while being more representative of the space environment. The studied DDD ranges from $500\,\,\text {TeV}\cdot \text {g}^{-1}$ to $40\,\,\text {GeV}\cdot \text {g}^{-1}$ , and the TID ranges from 24 krad(SiO2) to 72 krad(SiO2). High-magnitude electric field effects, such as transfer-gate-induced leakage current, are investigated to further understand the phenomena involved in FDs while giving new insights into the Electric Field Enhancement of the charge generation mechanisms. This paper shows that FDs are very sensitive to ionizing radiation because of the presence of depleted Si/SiO2 interface with high-magnitude electric fields around the junction. On the other hand, displacement damage in the FDs is a major source of high amplitude leakage current RTSs and leakage current nonuniformity. Such radiation-induced degradations can prevent the use of CMOS image sensor with long FD retention time (e.g., global shutter operating mode or burst imagers) in radiation environments.

A Review on the Radiation Response of Nanoporous Metallic Materials

High-dose, high-energy particle radiation induces significant microstructural damage in metallic materials. Free surfaces are ideal sinks for radiation-induced defects. Hence, nanoporous materials with abundant free surfaces may have outstanding radiation tolerance. This review summarizes recent studies on the interactions of defect clusters with free surfaces, and the influence of free surfaces and temperature on radiation-induced microstructural changes, such as shrinkage of nanopores, in nanoporous metallic materials. The mechanical properties of irradiated nanoporous metals are also briefly summarized.

Performance evaluation of anti-radiation based on the gamma degradation process

In the environment of space radiation, the high-energy charged particles or high-energy photons acting on a spacecraft can cause either temporary device degradation or permanent failure. The traditional probability model is difficult to obtain reliable estimation of unit radiation resistance performance with small samples. Considering that different products will change differently after high-energy particle radiation, we construct a model based on the gamma degradation process. This model can efficiently describe the law of unit radiation resistance variation with the total radiation dose levels under the effect of the total dose and displacement damage. Finally, the proposed model is used to assess the anti-radiation performance of the N-channel power MOSFET device STRH60N20FSY3 produced by STM to obtain average unit radiation resistance, survival probability, survival function, etc.

STARLIFE-An International Campaign to Study the Role of Galactic Cosmic Radiation in Astrobiological Model Systems.

In-depth knowledge regarding the biological effects of the radiation field in space is required for assessing the radiation risks in space. To obtain this knowledge, a set of different astrobiological model systems has been studied within the STARLIFE radiation campaign during six irradiation campaigns (2013-2015). The STARLIFE group is an international consortium with the aim to investigate the responses of different astrobiological model systems to the different types of ionizing radiation (X-rays, γ rays, heavy ions) representing major parts of the galactic cosmic radiation spectrum. Low- and high-energy charged particle radiation experiments have been conducted at the Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba (HIMAC) facility at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) in Chiba, Japan. X-rays or γ rays were used as reference radiation at the German Aerospace Center (DLR, Cologne, Germany) or Beta-Gamma-Service GmbH (BGS, Wiehl, Germany) to derive the biological efficiency of different radiation qualities. All samples were exposed under identical conditions to the same dose and qualities of ionizing radiation (i) allowing a direct comparison between the tested specimens and (ii) providing information on the impact of the space radiation environment on currently used astrobiological model organisms. Key Words: Space radiation environment-Sparsely ionizing radiation-Densely ionizing radiation-Heavy ions-Gamma radiation-Astrobiological model systems. Astrobiology 17, 101-109.