The Active Radiation Shield: Surviving the Voyage through Deep Space to Mars
Mentor 1
Prasenjit Guptasarma
Start Date
10-5-2022 10:00 AM
Description
Outer space is not empty. The radiating remnants of dying stars, known as GCR (Galactic cosmic radiation), are a hazard flooding the cosmos. This is one reason why life beyond Earth is scarce, yet life on Earth is taken for granted. This is naturally brought to us by the Earth's geomagnetic field, which deflects the high energy ions (GCR) away from our planet, leaving it safe and sound (relatively speaking). Thus, our lives shall forever be bound within this field. That is, unless we make our own. Passive shields, such as aluminum, are only sufficient within Earth's low orbit, as the geomagnetic field is still strong enough to protect us at an altitude of a few thousand kilometers. But our goal here is to go beyond that. To do so, we need an active shield. Enter the superconductor. This material, when cooled to a few degrees above absolute zero (around the temperature of outer space itself), reaches what's called a critical temperature (Tc). Below this point, the material conducts electric current with zero resistance, which makes it an ideal self-energized magnetic shield. Fortunately, there is such a material that is relatively simple to produce without sacrificing the dexterity and integrity to get the job done (deflecting GCR). YBCO (Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide) is what's known as a high temperature superconductor. With a Tc of around 92 Kelvin, well above the temperature of deep space, this material is the primary candidate for active shielding. We have currently processed multiple samples and analyzed the structure, matching up to the required qualifications. The next major step will be to test the shield strength against the ions of a high energy particle accelerator. Only then will it be ready to be taken to the next level - into outer space, and beyond!
The Active Radiation Shield: Surviving the Voyage through Deep Space to Mars
Outer space is not empty. The radiating remnants of dying stars, known as GCR (Galactic cosmic radiation), are a hazard flooding the cosmos. This is one reason why life beyond Earth is scarce, yet life on Earth is taken for granted. This is naturally brought to us by the Earth's geomagnetic field, which deflects the high energy ions (GCR) away from our planet, leaving it safe and sound (relatively speaking). Thus, our lives shall forever be bound within this field. That is, unless we make our own. Passive shields, such as aluminum, are only sufficient within Earth's low orbit, as the geomagnetic field is still strong enough to protect us at an altitude of a few thousand kilometers. But our goal here is to go beyond that. To do so, we need an active shield. Enter the superconductor. This material, when cooled to a few degrees above absolute zero (around the temperature of outer space itself), reaches what's called a critical temperature (Tc). Below this point, the material conducts electric current with zero resistance, which makes it an ideal self-energized magnetic shield. Fortunately, there is such a material that is relatively simple to produce without sacrificing the dexterity and integrity to get the job done (deflecting GCR). YBCO (Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide) is what's known as a high temperature superconductor. With a Tc of around 92 Kelvin, well above the temperature of deep space, this material is the primary candidate for active shielding. We have currently processed multiple samples and analyzed the structure, matching up to the required qualifications. The next major step will be to test the shield strength against the ions of a high energy particle accelerator. Only then will it be ready to be taken to the next level - into outer space, and beyond!
