Effective dose equivalent estimation for humans on Mars

TL;DR

This study develops and validates a detailed Martian radiation environment model to estimate human organ doses and effective dose equivalents, assessing mission viability under cosmic radiation exposure.

Contribution

The paper introduces a comprehensive Martian radiation model using MCNP6 and ICRP phantoms, validated with real rover data for accurate dose estimation.

Findings

Model closely matches RAD measurements and other models.

Organ dose assessments inform mission safety planning.

Supports viability analysis for extended Mars surface missions.

Abstract

Exposure to cosmic radiation is a major concern in space exploration. On the Martian surface, a complex radiation field is present, formed by a constant influx of galactic cosmic radiation and the secondary particles produced by their interaction with the planet's atmosphere and regolith. In this work, a Martian environment model was developed using MCNP6 following the guidelines of the 1st Mars Space Radiation Modeling Workshop. The accuracy of the model was tested by comparing particle spectra and dose rate results with other model results and measurements from the Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) onboard the Curiosity rover, taken between November 15, 2015, and January 15, 2016. The ICRP's voxel-type computational phantoms were then implemented into the code. Organ dose and effective dose equivalent were assessed for the same time period. The viability of a mission on the surface of Mars for extended periods of time under the assumed conditions was here investigated.