Ionization of protoplanetary disks by galactic cosmic rays,solar protons,and supernova remnants

Galactic cosmic rays and solar protons ionize the present terrestrial atmosphere,and the air showers are simulated by well-tested Monte-Carlo simulations,such as PHITS code.We use the latest version of PHITS to evaluate the possible ionization of protoplanetary disks by galactic cosmic rays（GCRs）,solar protons,and by supernova remnants.The attenuation length of GCR ionization is updated as 118 g cm^-2,which is approximately 20% larger than the popular value.Hard and soft possible spectra of solar protons give comparable and 20% smaller attenuation lengths compared with those from standard GCR spectra,respectively,while the attenuation length is approximately 10% larger for supernova remnants.Further,all of the attenuation lengths become 10% larger in the compound gas of cosmic abundance,e.g.128 g cm^-2 for GCRs,which can affect the minimum estimate of the size of dead zones in protoplanetary disks when the incident flux is unusually high.

Testing the Empirical Relationship between Forbush Decreases and Cosmic Ray Diurnal Anisotropy

The abrupt aperiodic modulation of cosmic ray(CR)flux intensity,often referred to as Forbush decrease(FD),plays a significant role in our understanding of the Sun-Earth electrodynamics.Accurate and precise determinations of FD magnitude and timing are among the intractable problems in FD-based analysis.FD identification is complicated by CR diurnal anisotropy.CR anisotropy can increase or reduce the number and amplitude of FDs.It is therefore important to remove its contributions from CR raw data before FD identification.Recently,an attempt was made,using a combination of the Fourier transform technique and FD-location machine,to address this.Thus,two FD catalogs and amplitude diurnal variation(ADV)were calculated from filtered(FD1 and ADV)and raw(FD2)CR data.In the current work,we test the empirical relationship between FD1,FD2,ADV and solar-geophysical characteristics.Our analysis shows that two types of magnetic fields-interplanetary and geomagnetic(Dst)-govern the evolution of CR flux intensity reductions.

Modelling the interaction of the Astro Bio Cube Sat with the Van Allen's Belt radiative field using Monte Carlo transport codes

Purpose The AstroBio Cube Satellite(ABCS)will deploy within the inner Van Allen belt on the Vega C Maiden Flight launch opportunity of the European Space Agency.At this altitude,ABCS will experience radiation doses orders of magnitude greater than in low earth orbit,where CubeSats usually operate.The paper aims to estimate the irradiation effect on the ABCS payload in the orbital condition,their possible mitigation designing shielding solutions and performs a preliminary representativity simulation study on the ABCS irradiation with fission neutron at the TAPIRO(TAratura Pila Rapida Potenza 0)nuclear research reactor facility at ENEA.Methods We quantify the contributions of geomagnetically trapped particles(electron and proton),Galactic Cosmic Rays(GCR ions),Solar energetic particle within the ABCS orbit using the ESA's SPace ENVironment information system.FLUKA(Fluktuierende Kaskade-Fluctuating Cascade)code models the ABCS interaction with the orbital source.Results We found a shielding solution of the weight of 300 g constituted by subsequent layers of tungsten,resins,and aluminium that decreases on average the 20%overall dose rate relative to the shielding offered by the only satellite's structure.Finally,simulations of neutron irradiation of the whole ABCS structure within the TAPIRO's thermal column cavity show that a relatively short irradiation time is requested to reach the same level of 1 MeV neutron Silicon equivalent damage of the orbital source.Conclusions The finding deserves the planning of a future experimental approach to confirm the TAPIRO's performance and establish an irradiation protocol for testing aerospatial electronic components.