The radiation environment on the Moon includes albedo neutrons produced by primary particles interacting with the lunar surface. In this work, HZETRN2010 is used to calculate the albedo neutron contribution to effective dose as a function of shielding thickness for four different space radiation environments and to determine to what extent various factors affect such estimates. First, albedo neutron spectra computed with HZETRN2010 are compared to Monte Carlo results in various radiation environments. Next, the impact of lunar regolith composition on the albedo neutron spectrum is examined, and the variation on effective dose caused by neutron fluence-to-effective dose conversion coefficients is studied. A methodology for computing effective dose in detailed human phantoms using HZETRN2010 is also discussed and compared. Finally, the combined variation caused by environmental models, shielding materials, shielding thickness, regolith composition and conversion coefficients on the albedo neutron contribution to effective dose is determined. It is shown that a single percentage number for characterizing the albedo neutron contribution to effective dose can be misleading. In general, the albedo neutron contribution to effective dose is found to vary between 1–32%, with the environmental model, shielding material and shielding thickness being the driving factors that determine the exact contribution. It is also shown that polyethylene or other hydrogen-rich materials may be used to mitigate the albedo neutron exposure.
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1 December 2011
REGULAR ARTICLES|
August 22 2011
Variation in Lunar Neutron Dose Estimates Available to Purchase
Tony C. Slaba;
Tony C. Slaba
1
NASA Langley Research Center, 2 West Reid St., MS 188E, Hampton, Virginia 23681
1Address for correspondence: NASA Langley Research Center, 2 West Reid St., MS 188E, Hampton, Virginia 23681; e-mail: [email protected].
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Steve R. Blattnig;
Steve R. Blattnig
NASA Langley Research Center, 2 West Reid St., MS 188E, Hampton, Virginia 23681
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Martha S. Clowdsley
Martha S. Clowdsley
NASA Langley Research Center, 2 West Reid St., MS 188E, Hampton, Virginia 23681
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Radiat Res (2011) 176 (6): 827–841.
Article history
Received:
March 04 2011
Accepted:
July 19 2011
Citation
Tony C. Slaba, Steve R. Blattnig, Martha S. Clowdsley; Variation in Lunar Neutron Dose Estimates. Radiat Res 1 December 2011; 176 (6): 827–841. doi: https://doi.org/10.1667/RR2616.1
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