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Welsh JS, Bevelacqua JJ, Mortazavi SMJ. Ramsar, Iran, as a Natural Radiobiological Surrogate for Mars. HEALTH PHYSICS 2022; 122:508-512. [PMID: 35244616 DOI: 10.1097/hp.0000000000001521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Terrestrial experiments involving acute exposures of low-LET radiation on inbred lab animals are quick, simple, and inexpensive but are relatively uninformative about the real radiobiological hazards of planned manned space missions. A more predictive model could involve human beings chronically exposed to "space-like" high-LET radiation. Such radiation exposure has been ongoing for thousands of years in Ramsar, Iran, and some other high-LET high background radiation regions on Earth. Examining the health of Ramsar residents can be illuminating and potentially relevant to space missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- James S Welsh
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and Edward Hines Jr. VA Medical Center, 5000 S 5th Ave., Hines, IL
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Matthiä D, Hassler DM, de Wet W, Ehresmann B, Firan A, Flores-McLaughlin J, Guo J, Heilbronn LH, Lee K, Ratliff H, Rios RR, Slaba TC, Smith M, Stoffle NN, Townsend LW, Berger T, Reitz G, Wimmer-Schweingruber RF, Zeitlin C. The radiation environment on the surface of Mars - Summary of model calculations and comparison to RAD data. LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH 2017; 14:18-28. [PMID: 28887939 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2017.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Revised: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The radiation environment at the Martian surface is, apart from occasional solar energetic particle events, dominated by galactic cosmic radiation, secondary particles produced in their interaction with the Martian atmosphere and albedo particles from the Martian regolith. The highly energetic primary cosmic radiation consists mainly of fully ionized nuclei creating a complex radiation field at the Martian surface. This complex field, its formation and its potential health risk posed to astronauts on future manned missions to Mars can only be fully understood using a combination of measurements and model calculations. In this work the outcome of a workshop held in June 2016 in Boulder, CO, USA is presented: experimental results from the Radiation Assessment Detector of the Mars Science Laboratory are compared to model results from GEANT4, HETC-HEDS, HZETRN, MCNP6, and PHITS. Charged and neutral particle spectra and dose rates measured between 15 November 2015 and 15 January 2016 and model results calculated for this time period are investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Matthiä
- German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Linder Höhe, 51147, Cologne, Germany.
| | - Donald M Hassler
- Southwest Research Institute, Space Science and Engineering Division, Boulder, USA; Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, CNRS, Orsay, France
| | - Wouter de Wet
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Bent Ehresmann
- Southwest Research Institute, Space Science and Engineering Division, Boulder, USA
| | - Ana Firan
- Space Radiation Analysis Group, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA; Leidos Exploration and Mission Support, Houston, TX, 77258, USA
| | - John Flores-McLaughlin
- Space Radiation Analysis Group, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA; University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jingnan Guo
- Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Lawrence H Heilbronn
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Kerry Lee
- Space Radiation Analysis Group, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hunter Ratliff
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Ryan R Rios
- Space Radiation Analysis Group, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA; Leidos Exploration and Mission Support, Houston, TX, 77258, USA
| | - Tony C Slaba
- NASA Langley Research Center, 2 West Reid St., MS 188E, Hampton, VA, 23681, USA
| | - Michael Smith
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | | | - Lawrence W Townsend
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Thomas Berger
- German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Linder Höhe, 51147, Cologne, Germany
| | - Günther Reitz
- German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Linder Höhe, 51147, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Cary Zeitlin
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Leidos Exploration and Mission Support, Houston, TX, 77258, USA
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Flores-McLaughlin J. Radiation transport simulation of the Martian GCR surface flux and dose estimation using spherical geometry in PHITS compared to MSL-RAD measurements. LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH 2017; 14:36-42. [PMID: 28887942 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2017.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 07/16/2017] [Accepted: 07/21/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Planetary bodies and spacecraft are predominantly exposed to isotropic radiation environments that are subject to transport and interaction in various material compositions and geometries. Specifically, the Martian surface radiation environment is composed of galactic cosmic radiation, secondary particles produced by their interaction with the Martian atmosphere, albedo particles from the Martian regolith and occasional solar particle events. Despite this complex physical environment with potentially significant locational and geometric dependencies, computational resources often limit radiation environment calculations to a one-dimensional or slab geometry specification. To better account for Martian geometry, spherical volumes with respective Martian material densities are adopted in this model. This physical description is modeled with the PHITS radiation transport code and compared to a portion of measurements from the Radiation Assessment Detector of the Mars Science Laboratory. Particle spectra measured between 15 November 2015 and 15 January 2016 and PHITS model results calculated for this time period are compared. Results indicate good agreement between simulated dose rates, proton, neutron and gamma spectra. This work was originally presented at the 1st Mars Space Radiation Modeling Workshop held in 2016 in Boulder, CO.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Flores-McLaughlin
- University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA; Space Radiation Analysis Group, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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Koike Y, Frey MA, Sahiar F, Dodge R, Mohler S. Effects of HZE particle on the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system in a future Mars mission. ACTA ASTRONAUTICA 2005; 56:367-378. [PMID: 15754475 DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2004.05.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Because of long duration travel outside the Earth's magnetic field, the effect of iron-rich high charge and energy (HZE) particles in Galactic Cosmic Rays on human body is the major concern in radiation protection. Recently attention has been directed to effects on the central nervous system in addition to mutagenic effects. In particular, a reduction in striatal dopamine content on nigrostriatal dopaminergic system has been reported by investigators using accelerated iron ions in ground-based mammalian studies. In addition, studies of the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease demonstrated that excess iron cause a reduction in the dopamine content in the substantia nigra. This suggests an intriguing possibility to explain the selective detrimental effects of HZE particles on the dopaminergic system. Should these particles have biochemical effects, possible options for countermeasures are: (1) nutritional prevention, (2) medication, and (3) surgical placement of a stimulator electrode at a specific anatomic site in the basal ganglia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Koike
- Space Medicine Group, Human Space Technology and Astronaut Department, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
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Simonsen LC, Nealy JE, Townsend LW, Wilson JW. Martian regolith as space radiation shielding. JOURNAL OF SPACECRAFT AND ROCKETS 1991; 28:7-8. [PMID: 11537624 DOI: 10.2514/3.26201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
In current Mars scenario descriptions, an entire mission is estimated to take 500-1000 days round trip with a 100-600 day stay time on the surface. To maintain radiation dose levels below permissible limits, dose estimates must be determined for the entire mission length. With extended crew durations anticipated on Mars, the characterization of the radiation environment on the surface becomes a critical aspect of mission planning. The most harmful free-space radiation is due to high energy galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and solar flare protons. The carbon dioxide atmosphere of Mars has been estimated to provide a sufficient amount of shielding from these radiative fluxes to help maintain incurred doses below permissible limits. However, Mars exploration crews are likely to incur a substantial dose while in transit to Mars that will reduce the allowable dose that can be received while on the surface. Therefore, additional shielding may be necessary to maintain short-term dose levels below limits or to help maintain career dose levels as low as possible. By utilizing local resources, such as Martian regolith, shielding materials can be provided without excessive launch weight requirements from Earth. The scope of this synopsis and of Ref. 3 focuses on presenting our estimates of surface radiation doses received due to the transport and attenuation of galactic cosmic rays and February 1956 solar flare protons through the Martian atmosphere and through additional shielding provided by Martian regolith.
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Affiliation(s)
- L C Simonsen
- NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia 23665
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