Student: Lorien MacEnulty, Undergraduate Student in Physics, Mathematics, and News Journalism, Drake University
Research Mentor: Dr. Athanasios Petridis
Magneto-Ionization Spacecraft Shield for Interplanetary Travel
The MISSFIT research organization—acronym for Magneto-Ionization Spacecraft Shield for Interplanetary Travel—is a student-run, interdisciplinary research group devoted to the development of an ionized radiation shield. The shield is designed to surround spacecraft and accompanying voyagers exposed to intense cosmic radiation when dispatched on long-term missions through space. The current model under investigation consists of a combination of active and passive shielding imitating the protective qualities of Earth’s ionosphere and magnetosphere. I joined the group at its founding in November of 2016.
My current research is two-fold. The first endeavor is to develop a program that calculates the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field—generated under conditions of variable shape and intensity—at any point in space surrounding the spacecraft. The second is to experimentally determine gamma ray attenuation in candidate materials for passive shielding. Data collection for the latter enterprise is underway. Participants of MISSFIT, including myself, seek to up the rigor with which we attack the problem of interplanetary radiation. We are currently debugging code that incorporates the equations for energy loss in media and are investigating more realistic magnetic fields. Within the next year, we hope to develop a detailed, conceptual design of the shield and troubleshoot the components of that design via computer simulations. For now, ISCG funding aids acquisition of materials for gamma-ray experiments, including radiative sources and material samples. Funding will also go towards participation in the April APS meeting.