Is this project an undergraduate, graduate, or faculty project?
Undergraduate
Project Type
group
Authors' Class Standing
John Galjanic - Senior Brennan McCann - Senior
Lead Presenter's Name
John Galjanic
Faculty Mentor Name
Matthew Zettergren
Abstract
The purpose of this project is to develop a system to protect astronauts on long-duration space missions from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation. The current design being considered is one that uses a combination of magnetic fields and passive shielding material to protect the crew capsule. So far, the project has studied relevant literature to understand the radiation environment, various materials of interest, and past radiation shielding methods. A simulation has been developed in MATLAB to model the behavior of high-energy particles when exposed to the design’s magnetic field. Additional programs have been written to determine the proper amount and material of passive shielding to absorb any particles that pass through the magnetic field. Currently, the project is gathering data on the percentage of particles deflected by the magnetic field. Once all data has been gathered, the full weight and cost of the proposed solution will be calculated in order to determine the feasibility of the system.
Did this research project receive funding support (Spark, SURF, Research Abroad, Student Internal Grants, Collaborative, Climbing, or Ignite Grants) from the Office of Undergraduate Research?
No
Project SHIELD
The purpose of this project is to develop a system to protect astronauts on long-duration space missions from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation. The current design being considered is one that uses a combination of magnetic fields and passive shielding material to protect the crew capsule. So far, the project has studied relevant literature to understand the radiation environment, various materials of interest, and past radiation shielding methods. A simulation has been developed in MATLAB to model the behavior of high-energy particles when exposed to the design’s magnetic field. Additional programs have been written to determine the proper amount and material of passive shielding to absorb any particles that pass through the magnetic field. Currently, the project is gathering data on the percentage of particles deflected by the magnetic field. Once all data has been gathered, the full weight and cost of the proposed solution will be calculated in order to determine the feasibility of the system.