Intro |
Torus |
References
Introduction
Manned missions to planets such as Mars require extended missions that
will expose astronauts to harmful radiation in the form of energetic
particles from solar and galatic sources. Traditional methods for
protecting spacecraft and occupants from these forms of radiation involve
some configuration of a massive material shield to absorb the energy of
incoming particles. For the high energy galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) that
astronauts will be exposed to, these so-called passive shields are too
massive to be practical and will likely produce showers of secondary
radiation that could be more harmful than the GCRs themselves.
Active shields which rely on magnetic (or electric) fields to deflect
energetic particles offer a potential solution to the problem. Designing
a magnetic shield that is strong enough to deflect GCR particles but
weak enough to not harm astronauts is a challenge. Investigating possible
solutions involves a combination of electromagnetic theory, numerical
analysis, engineering practicality, and an astronaut's sense of exploration.
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Null Field Torus
Figure 1. Magnetic field due to a circular current loop of radius
8 m. Dashed line represents cross section of torus with minor radius
or 1.5 m. Red line is magnetic field line that begins at inner edge of
torus (6.5 m). Magnetic field is, by definition, tangential to the surface
enclosed by the red magnetic field line.
Figure 2. Amperes Law allows us to specify exactly the current density
needed on the surface of the red magnetic field line in Figure 1 such that the
magnetic field inside the region is everywhere exactly zero.
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Spacecraft Shielding Documents
Early Shielding: '60s and '70s
Levy_61a.pdf (~5 MB) - Radiation Shielding
of Space Vehicles by Means of Superconductings Coils. This is the report
that contains all the details which form the basis of the hollow conductor.
Levy_61.pdf - Radiation Shielding of Space
Vehicles by Means of Superconductings Coils.
Levy_62.pdf and Willinski_62.pdf - Author's
Reply to Willinski's Comment on "Radiation Shielding of Space
Vehicles by Means of Superconductings Coils".
Bernert_64.pdf - Magnetic Radiation Shielding
Systems Analysis.
Levy_64.pdf - Plasma Radiation Shielding.
Levy_65.pdf - Comment on "Mass and Magnetic
Dipole Shielding against Electrons of the Artificial Radiations Belt".
Keffer_65.pdf - Experimental Investigation of
Packaging and Deployment Characteristics of an Inflatable
Toroidal-Space-Station Configuration.
Urban_65.pdf - Shielded region for Axially
Symmetric Quadrupole
Levine_66.pdf - Forbidden Regions Produced
by Two Parallel Dipoles.
Levy_67.pdf - The Status and Prospects for
Plasma Radiation Shielding.
Levine_67.pdf - The Quasi-Hollow Conductor
Magnet as a Space Shield Against Electrons.
Levine_68.pdf - Analog Studies of Magnetic
Shields.
Levy_68.pdf - Plasma Radiation Shield: Concept
and Applications to Space Vehicles.
vonBraun_69.pdf - Will Mighty Magnets
Protect Voyagers to Planets?
Levine_71.pdf - An Active Radiation Shield for
Cylindrically Shaped Vehicles.
Deployed Shield Papers
Cocks_91.pdf - A Deployable High Temperature
Superconducting Coil (DHTSC): A Novel Concept for Producing Magnetic Shields
Against both Solar Flare and Galatic Radiation During Manned Interplanetary
Missions.
Watkins Thesis - Magnetic Shielding
of Spacecraft Employing High Temperature Superconductors.
Cocks_93.pdf - Magnetic Shielding of Interplanetary
Spacecraft against Solar Flar Radiation.
Hilinski_94.pdf - Deployed High-Temperature
Superconducting Coil Magnetic Shield.
Cocks_97.pdf - Applications for Deployed High
Temperature Superconducting Coils in Spacecraft Engineering: A review and
Analysis.
Lanzerotti_04.pdf - Active Radiation Shielding
in Space?
Buckey_05.pdf - Next Stop, Mars.
Singer_05.pdf - Comment on "Next Stop,
Mars".
Buckey_05a.pdf - More on Mars.
2005 NIAC
Parker_05.pdf - Shielding Space Explorers from
Cosmic Rays.
Parker_06.pdf - Shielding Space Travelers.
Parker.pdf - Shielding Astronauts from Cosmic
Rays.
Shepherd_07.pdf - Comment on "Applications for
Deployed High Temperature Superconducting Coils in Spacecraft Engineering: A
Review and Analysis" by J. C. Cocks et al.
Shepherd_07a.pdf - Stormer Theory Applied to
Magnetic Spacecraft Shielding.
Magnetic Shielding Papers
Townsend_83.pdf - HZE Particle Shielding Using
Confined Magnetic Fields.
Spillantini_00.pdf - Radiation shielding of
spacecraft's in manned interplanetary flights.
Stephens_02.pdf - MONTE CARLO TRANSPORT MODEL
COMPARISON WITH 1A GeV ACCELERATED IRON EXPERIMENT: HEAVY-ION SHIELDING
EVALUATION OF NASA SPACE FLIGHT-CREW FOODSTUFF.
Townsend_03.pdf - Carrington Flare of 1859 as
a Prototypical Worst-Case Solar Energetic Particle Event.
Rossi_04.pdf - A Superconducting Magnetic Lens for
Solar Rays Protection in Manned Interplanetary Missions.
Townsend_05.pdf - Critical Analysis of Active
Shielding Methods for Space Radiation Protection.
Overview Papers
Simonsen_91.pdfRadiation Protection for Human
Missions to the Moon and Mars.
NASA Conference Pub. 3360 - Shielding
Strategies for Human Space Exploration.
Sussingham_99.pdf - Forty Years of Developement
of Active Systems for Radiation Protection of Spacecraft.
Townsend_00.pdf - Overview of active methods
for shielding spacecraft from energetic space radiation.
NASA: Can People Go to Mars? 2005
Exposure Papers
International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation
Protection: Guidelines on Limits of Exposure to Static Magnetic Fields
Shinn_94.pdf - GALACTIC COSMIC RAY RADIATION
LEVELS IN SPACECRAFT ON INTERPLANETARY MISSIONS.
Setlow_99.pdf - The U.S. National Research
Council’s views of the radiation hazards in space.
Schenck_00.pdf - Safety of Strong, Static
Magnetic Fields.
Coutgnet_05.pdf - Radiation Exposure and Mission
Strategies for Interplanetary Manned Missions (REMSIM).
deVocht_06.pdf - Critical Analysis of Active
Shielding Methods for Space Radiation Protection.
Environmental Health
Criteria Document 232: Static Fields
GCR Papers
Wilson_94.pdf - GALACTIC COSMIC RAY TRANSPORT
METHODS: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE.
Mewaldt_96.pdf - Cosmic Rays.
Related Papers
Hertweck_58.pdf - (German) Particle Trajectories
in the presence of a straight wire.
Smart and Shea.pdf -
Winglee_00.pdf - Mini-Magnetospheric Plasma
Propulsion: Tapping the Energy of the Solar Wind for Spacecraft
Propulsion.
Lemaire_03.pdf - The Effect of a Southward
Interplanetary Magnetic Field on Stormer's Allowed Regions.
Winglee_04.pdf - Advances in Magnetized Plasma
Propulsion and Radiation Shielding.
Kress_04.pdf - Dynamic modeling of geomagnetic
cutoff for the 23–24 November 2001 solar energetic particle event.
Smart_06.pdf - A review of geomagnetic cutoff
rigidities for earth-orbiting spacecraft.
O'Neill Senior Thesis - Computer
Simulations of Radiation Shielding Materials for Use in the Space Radiation
Environment.
Presentations
Michigan Shielding Conference
PDF
NASA Space Radiation Shielding Program
PDF
2006 Plasma Seminar, Darin Knaus
PDF PPT
2007 Plasma Seminar, Simon Shepherd
PDF ODP
NIAC Reports
M2P2
Winglee Phase I - 1 page
Winglee Phase I - final report
Winglee Phase II - 1 page
Winglee Phase II - final report
PMWAC
Slough Phase I - 1 page
Slough Phase I - final report
Plasma Magnet
Slough Phase I - 1 page
Slough Phase I - final report
Slough Phase I - report
Slough Phase II - 1 page
Slough Phase II - report
Plasma Magnetic Shield
Slough Phase I - 1 page
MIT Solonoid
Hoffman Phase I - 1 page
Hoffman Phase I - final report
Electrostatic Shield
Buhler Phase I - 1 page
Buhler Phase I - final report
Announcements - Reports
Annual Report 2004
AO 2007
Student Fellows 07-08
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Contact Information