Novel Tetrahedral Human Phantoms for Space Radiation Dose Assessment

• Main Authors: MA, Chesal, RS, Blue, SA, Aunon-Chancellor, JC, Chancellor
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 09-03-2023
• Subjects: Physics - Medical Physics; Quantitative Biology - Quantitative Methods
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2303.05564

Space radiation remains one of the primary hazards to spaceflight crews. The
unique nature of the intravehicular radiation spectrum makes prediction of
biological outcomes difficult, with computational simulation-based efforts
stymied by lack of computational resources or accurate modeling capabilities.
Recent advancements in both Monte Carlo simulations and computational human
phantom developments have allowed for complex radiation simulations and
dosimetric calculations to be performed for numerous applications. In this
work, advanced tetrahedral-type human phantoms were exposed to a simulated
spectrum of particles equivalent to a single days exposure in the International
Space Station in Low Earth Orbit. 3D Monte Carlo techniques were used to
produce and simulate the radiation spectra. Organ absorbed dose, average energy
deposition, and the whole-body integral dose was determined for a male and
female phantom. Results were then extrapolated for two long-term scenarios: a
6-9 month mission on the International Space Station and a 3-year mission to
Mars. The whole-body integral dose for the male and female models were found to
be 0.2985 +- 0.0002 mGy/day 0.3050 +- 0.0002 mGy/day, respectively, which is
within 10% of recorded dose values from the International Space Station. This
work presents a novel approach to assess absorbed dose from space-like
radiation fields using high-fidelity computational phantoms, highlighting the
utility of complex models for space radiation research.