Method for the prediction of the effective dose equivalent to the crew of the International Space Station

This paper describes a methodology for assessing the pre-mission exposure of space crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in terms of an effective dose equivalent. In this approach, the PHITS Monte Carlo code was used to assess the particle transport of galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) and trapped radiation for solar maximum and minimum conditions through an aluminum shield thickness. From these predicted spectra, and using fluence-to-dose conversion factors, a scaling ratio of the effective dose equivalent rate to the ICRU ambient dose equivalent rate at a 10 mm depth was determined. Only contributions from secondary neutrons, protons, and alpha particles were considered in this analysis.     

Thermoelectric Properties of Mg_2Si_(1-x)Sn_x Synthesized by Bulk Mechanical Alloying

Bulk mechanical alloying (BMA) has been successfully applied to solid-state synthesis of p-type and n-type thermoelectric mate-rials Mg2Si1–xSnx (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1) from element-powders at the room temperature in a relatively short time. The electrical conductivity, the Seebeck coefficient and the thermal conductivity of the Mg2Si1–xSnx are quite sensitive to the x-content. With the x-content rising, the electrical conductivity increases. When x = 0.6, it reaches the lowest and Mg2Si shows an n-type of semi-conducting. However, when x = 0.2 and T >525 K, the Seebeck coefficient of the samples will change the opposite way. While x≥0.4, the samples present a p-type of semi-conducting. The figure of merit, Z of Mg2Si1–xSnx will be obtained in the range from 300 K to 700 K. When x = 0.6, Z proves to be higher than that of other samples at 300 K≤T≤650 K.