Evaluating Shielding Materials for High Energy Space Radiation

Abstract Space radiation is very hazardously harmful to human health and physically damaging to electronics equipment. The major radiation sources are Solar Particle Events (SPE) and Galactic Cosmic Rays/Radiation (GCR). GCR composed of high energy protons, alpha particles and electrons travelling from outside solar system are especially difficult to shield. Previous study has been shown that aluminum and higher atomic number structural alloys, provide fairly little shielding which may increase secondary radiation. In this work, we evaluate the range of materials for GCR shielding. Materials are aluminum, for its low atomic number, Liquid Hydrogen, Polyethylene,Water, Polybenzoxazine, Lithium hydride, Liquid Methane and Hydrogenated Graphite Nano fiber (HGNF) materials which containing high proportions of hydrogen which effectively slowing secondary neutrons and GCR radiation. Boron nitride storing hydrogen absorbs the secondary neutrons, GCR, and SPE effectively. Liquid Methane performance is also noticeable. The dose equivalent for each shielding materials are calculated using On-line Tool for the Assessment of Radiation In Space (OLTARIS) and High Charge and Energy TRaNsport (HZETRN) and compared for 2010 Solar minimum GCR. The results show that Liquid hydrogen is the good space radiation shielding material for a given thickness, followed by Lithium Hydride, Liquid Methane, Boron nitride storing hydrogen, Polyethylene, Polybenzoxazine, HGNF, and then aluminum. In addition, we plotted dose equivalent for Liquid hydrogen and Polyethylene at different densities.