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The On- Line Tool for the Assessment of Radiation in Space, (OLTARIS, https://oltaris.nasa.gov) is a web-based set of tools and models that allow engineers and scientists to assess the effects of space radiation on spacecraft, habitats, rovers, and spacesuits. The site is intended to be a design tool for those working radiation issues for current and future missions, as well as a research tool for those developing advanced material and shielding concepts. The tools and models are built around the HZETRN transport formalism [1-3] radiation transport code and are currently focused on human-related responses. This code and the team behind its continuing development have been specified by NASA as the standard for all future manned missions. The current capabilities include:

User Selected Environment(s)

  • Free Space Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR)
    • Badhwar-O'Neill 2010, 2014, and 2020; Matthia 2013; SINP 2016
    • Select historical solar minimum or maximum and input duration
    • Input start and end dates
    • Input fitting parameter
  • Free Space Solar Particle Event (SPE)
    • Select historical spectra
    • Input parameters for a specific fitting function
    • Select design reference events for electronics
  • Earth Orbit
    • Circular orbit by start/end data, altitude, inclination
    • AP8 and AP9 trapped models
    • Upload user-defined trajectory
  • Mars Surface Environment
    • Mars-GRAM or Mars Climate Database (MCD) atmosphere models
    • Albedo included via 3D transport of near-surface environment
  • Lunar surface with albedo

User Defined Geometry

  • Upload thickness distribution(s)
    • Interpolation-based analysis limited to three user-defined materials/layers
    • 3D analysis available for up to 5000 user-defined materials/layers
  • Slabs and spheres can be defined with any number of materials/layers in any order

User Defined Materials

Materials can be defined by:
  • Chemical Formula
  • Elemental Mass Percentage
  • Molecular Mass Percentage

User Selected Response Functions

  • Differential Flux / Fluence
  • Dose in tissue or silicon
  • Dose equivalent (ICRP60 or NASA Q)
  • Whole-Body Effective Dose Equivalent CAM, CAF, MAX, and FAX (NCRP-132 or NASA tissue weights)
  • Gray Equivalent
  • Risk of Exposure Induced Death (REID), Risk of Exposure Induced Cancer (REIC)
  • LET (Linear Energy Transfer) in tissue or silicon

There are no charges associated with the use of OLTARIS, but users must register and get approval from the site administrators before accessing the site contents. To register for OLTARIS, follow this link to the OLTARIS home page. Next select the Register link at the top of the home page and and complete the Sign-up Form for OLTARIS page. After registration is complete, one of the site administrators will activate your account when approved, and confirmation will be sent to the supplied email address.

References

  1. John E. Nealy, C.K. Chang, Ryan B. Norman, Steve R. Blattnig, Francis F. Badavi, Anne M. Adamczyk, "A deterministic computational procedure for space environment electron transport,” Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 268 (2010) 2415–2425
  2. Slaba, T.C., Blattnig, S.R., Aghara, S.K., Townsend, L.W., Handler, T., Gabriel, T.A., Pinsky, L.S., Reddell, B., “Coupled Neutron Transport for HZETRN”. Radiation Measurements, Volume 45 pp. 173-182 (2010).
  3. Slaba, T.C., Blattnig, S.R., Badavi, F.F., “Faster and more Accurate Transport Procedures for HZETRN”. NASA Technical Paper 2010 – 216213 (2010).