Mason Williams, “Active Radiation Shielding Materials to Protect Human Habitats during Interplanetary Space Travel”
Mentor: Prasenjit Guptasarma, Physics
Poster #140

Current radiation shielding in space uses passive methods. These are materials which physically stop radiation from reaching human habitats. The downside to passive shielding is that they do not protect such habitats from high energy Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR). These rays are extremely harmful and can often be fatal. The work of this project is to find materials for active radiation shielding using superconductors in which magnetic fields can deflect charged GCRs away from human habitat spaces. We are exploring composites superconducting materials to help maintain both a high critical temperature and a high critical current density. We have synthesized samples which include polycrystalline and single-crystalline materials and composites. We have studied these materials using techniques such as X-ray diffraction and Rietveld Refinement.