title: Space radiation transport properties of polyethylene-based composites.
abstract: Composite materials that can serve as both effective shielding materials against cosmic-ray and energetic solar particles in deep space, as well as structural materials for habitat and spacecraft, remain a critical and mission enabling component in mission planning and exploration. Polyethylene is known to have excellent shielding properties due to its low density, coupled with high hydrogen content. Polyethylene-fiber reinforced composites promise to combine this shielding effectiveness with the required mechanical properties of structural materials. Samples of polyethylene-fiber reinforced epoxy matrix composite 1-5 cm thick were prepared at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and tested against a 500 MeV/nucleon Fe beam at the HIMAC facility of NIRS in Chiba, Japan. This paper presents measured and calculated results for the radiation transport properties of these samples.
authors.affiliation: NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center, SD-46, AL 35812, USA. nasser.barghouty@msfc.nasa.gov
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Kaul
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Barghouty
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Dahche
mesh_terms: D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D003359:Cosmic Radiation; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D020450:Heavy Ions; D006859:Hydrogen; D007501:Iron; D018499:Linear Energy Transfer; D008422:Materials Testing; D020959:Polyethylene / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers; D011827:Radiation; D011835:Radiation Protection; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing; D019445:Solar Activity; D013026:Space Flight; D018531:Spacecraft; D013718:Tensile Strength; D014481:United States; D018557:United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D006859:Hydrogen; D020959:Polyethylene; D007501:Iron