Modeling the effectiveness of radiation shielding materials for astronaut protection on Mars

TL;DR

This paper models the effectiveness of different materials, including composites and regolith, for shielding astronauts from cosmic radiation on Mars, using simulations validated by in-situ measurements.

Contribution

It introduces a validated simulation approach to evaluate Martian radiation shielding materials, highlighting composites and regolith as effective options.

Findings

Composite materials provide effective shielding against cosmic rays.

Martian regolith can serve as a practical radiation shield.

Aluminum's shielding effectiveness improves when combined with low atomic number materials.

Abstract

The surface of Mars is bombarded by energetic charged particles of solar and cosmic origin with little shielding compared to Earth. As space agencies are planning for crewed missions to the red planet, a major concern is the impact of ionizing radiation on astronaut health. Keeping exposure below acceptable radiation dose levels is crucial for the health of the crew. In this study, our goal is to understand the radiation environment of Mars and describe the main strategies to be adopted to protect astronauts from the harmful impacts of cosmic radiation. Specifically, we investigate the shielding properties of various materials in the Martian radiation field using the Geant4 numerical model, after validating its accuracy with in-situ instrument measurements by MSL RAD. Our results indicate that composite materials such as types of plastic, rubber or synthetic fibers, have a similar response against cosmic rays and are the best shields. Martian regolith has an intermediate behavior and therefore could be used as an additional practical option. We show that the most widely used aluminum could be helpful when combined with other low atomic number materials.