GEANT4 Simulations for Astronaut Risk Calculations

Objectives: The key objective of the proposed work is to develop a novel approach for REID (Radiation Exposure Induced Death) risk assessment using GEANT4, a radiation transport code developed at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research). Methods/Techniques: The proposed research involves two tasks that will accomplish the stated research objectives. The first task will establish an expert GEANT4 user group in collaboration with NASA MSFC and compare the results from GEANT4 with results from HZETRAN (a 1-D deterministic transport code current used for REID calculations at NASA LaRC). We will study the effects of uncertainties in the Quality Factor, Low LET Risk model and uncertainty in nuclear cross sections for galactic cosmic rays and solar particles. This first task will evaluate GEANT4’s promise in REID calculations and apply the considerable capabilities of GEANT4 directly to current NASA needs in statistical evaluations related to mortality data. The second task of the project is to extend the REID focus to include the health effects of the radiation flux on the DNA of the astronauts. The GEANT4 community is actively involved in the development of databases related to radiation-induced DNA effects [1]. Although the physics related to the initial space radiation and the secondary particles it generates typically involves high-energy interactions, low energy interactions are critical in when considering effects on biomolecules. Significance: This project is directly applicable to research priorities defined by the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. As noted in NASA’s Human Research Program Integrated Research Plan [2], radiation health effects and radiation protection for astronauts are among the most important issues encountered in deep space missions. The assessment of health risk can ultimately dictate the design and composition of the spacecraft.[3] NASA’s current method utilizes HZETRAN, which has virtue in that it is deterministic and computing time is much faster compared to Monte Carlo codes, but the compromise is that several assumptions must be made including the “straight ahead approximation”, which essentially makes the code 1-dimensional. Incorporation of GEANT4 into REID assessment will advance the state-of-the-art with its extremely effective Monte Carlo framework, 3-D modeling capability, radiation transport, and many atomic and nuclear databases. Finally, perhaps the most exciting outcome of the proposed research would be the bridging of the two tasks described above. Namely, success in both tasks will allow for evaluation of correlations between the REID calculations (GEANT4 or HZETRAN) and the DNA effects predicted by GEANT4 simulations. Connection between the macroscopic statistics and microscopic DNA impacts could yield fundamentally new insights into radiation-induced DNA damage. References: [1] Z. Francis, S. Incerti, M. Karamitros, H.N. Tran, C. Villagrasa, Stopping power and ranges of electrons, protons and alpha particles in liquid water using the Geant4-DNA package, Nucl. Inst. Meth. Phys. Res. B 269 (2011) 2307–2311. [2] Human Research Program Integrated Research Plan, HRP-47065, July 2014, Revision F, http://humanresearchroadmap.nasa.gov/Documents/IRP_Rev_F.pdf. [3] B. G. Drake (ed.), Mars Architecture Steering Group, Human Exploration of Mars Design Reference Architecture 5.0, NASA/SP–2009–566, July 2009.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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