Results for “NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL)” — Page 2

NASA NTRS2015

A Reference Field for GCR Simulation and an LET-Based Implementation at NSRL

Exposure to galactic cosmic rays (GCR) on long duration deep space missions presents a serious health risk to astronauts, with large uncertainties connected to the biological response. In order to reduce the uncertainties and gain understanding about the basic mechanisms through which space radiation initiates cancer and other endpoints, radiobiology experiments are performed. Some of the accelerator facilities supporting such experiments have matured to a point where simulating the broad range of particles and energies characteristic of the GCR environment in a single experiment is feasible from a technology, usage, and cost perspective. In this work, several aspects of simulating the GCR environment in the laboratory are discussed. First, comparisons are made between direct simulation of the external, free space GCR field and simulation of the induced tissue field behind shielding. It is found that upper energy constraints at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) limit the ability to simulate the external, free space field directly (i.e. shielding placed in the beam line in front of a biological target and exposed to a free space spectrum). Second, variation in the induced tissue field associated with shielding configuration and solar activity is addressed. It is found that the observed variation is within physical uncertainties, allowing a single reference field for deep space missions to be defined. Third, an approach for simulating the reference field at NSRL is presented. The approach allows for the linear energy transfer (LET) spectrum of the reference field to be approximately represented with discrete ion and energy beams and implicitly maintains a reasonably accurate charge spectrum (or, average quality factor). Drawbacks of the proposed methodology are discussed and weighed against alternative simulation strategies. The neutron component and track structure characteristics of the proposed strategy are discussed in this context.

Slaba, Tony C.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The NASA Biological Institutional Scientific Collection (NBISC): Tissue and Microbe Biospecimens to Advance Space Research

The NASA Biological Institutional Scientific Collection (NBISC) is a biorepository of non-human biospecimens from NASA-funded spaceflight investigations and correlative ground studies. The collection has its roots in the 1960s through collaborations by NASA Ames Research Center with other NASA centers, universities, and international space agencies by sharing non-human biospecimens from spaceflight and space-relevant ground experiments. These collaborations have advanced the field of space exploration by helping to maximize the data gained from spaceflight and other NASA-funded experiments. NBISC coordinates closely with the Biospecimen Sharing Program (BSP) which is responsible for organized sample collection from spaceflight and ground rodent experiments. In 2022 NBISC partnered with HRP’s Biospecimen and Tissue Sharing Collection (BTSC) Program to also archive samples from HRP’s Space Radiation Element-funded studies which primarily involve rodents exposed to various radiation protocols at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) and other analog facilities. To date, more than fifty thousand biospecimens from BTSC have been transferred to NBISC for distribution to the community. In 2023, NBISC embarked on a new Space Biology funded endeavor to create the Space Microbial Culture Collection (SMCC) which will serve as a central repository for microbial isolates associated with space flight, gravitational, and space radiation research. This presentation will highlight several success stories of analyses carried out using archived NBISC samples received by researchers in recent years and will detail the process for proposing and receiving samples from NBISC, BTSC and SMCC. Making available these 150,000+ unique biospecimens to the scientific research community, NBISC not only serves as a repository for storing and distributing non-human biospecimens, but also acts as a resource to enable new discoveries that will benefit NASA and humankind.

NBISC↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The NASA Biological Institutional Scientific Collection (NBISC): Tissue and Microbe Biospecimens to Advance Space Research

The NASA Biological Institutional Scientific Collection (NBISC) is a biorepository of non-human biospecimens from NASA-funded spaceflight investigations and correlative ground studies. The collection has its roots in the 1960s through collaborations by NASA Ames Research Center with other NASA centers, universities, and international space agencies by sharing non-human biospecimens from spaceflight and space-relevant ground experiments. These collaborations have advanced the field of space exploration by helping to maximize the data gained from spaceflight and other NASA-funded experiments. NBISC coordinates closely with the Biospecimen Sharing Program (BSP) which is responsible for organized sample collection from spaceflight and ground rodent experiments. In 2022 NBISC partnered with HRP’s Biospecimen and Tissue Sharing Collection (BTSC) Program to also archive samples from HRP’s Space Radiation Element-funded studies which primarily involve rodents exposed to various radiation protocols at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) and other analog facilities. To date, more than fifty thousand biospecimens from BTSC have been transferred to NBISC for distribution to the community. In 2023, NBISC embarked on a new Space Biology funded endeavor to create the Space Microbial Culture Collection (SMCC) which will serve as a central repository for microbial isolates associated with space flight, gravitational, and space radiation research. This presentation will highlight several success stories of analyses carried out using archived NBISC samples received by researchers in recent years and will detail the process for proposing and receiving samples from NBISC, BTSC and SMCC. Making available these 150,000+ unique biospecimens to the scientific research community, NBISC not only serves as a repository for storing and distributing non-human biospecimens, but also acts as a resource to enable new discoveries that will benefit NASA and humankind.

Biospecimen↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Changes in Plants Developed from Imbibed Seeds Irradiated by Simulated Solar Particle Events

One of the major concerns for long-term exploration missions beyond the Earth’s magnetosphere is radiation risk primarily from solar particle events (SPEs) and galactic cosmic rays (GCRs). With the goal of manned Mars exploration, the production of fresh food during long duration space missions may provide nutritional supplementation and benefit astronauts’ behavioral health. However, the effects of space radiation on plants and plant propagules have not been sufficiently investigated and characterized. In this study, we evaluated the effect of simulated GCRs on dry seeds of mizuna mustard, ‘Outredgeous’ red romaine lettuce, and ‘Red Robin’ dwarf tomato. Seeds were exposed to various doses of simulated GCRs (0, 40, and 80 cGy), either acutely or at a low dose rate (LDR), using the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) facility at Brookhaven National Lab (BNL). Control and irradiated seeds were planted and maintained under space-vehicle relevant controlled environment conditions. Plant/fruit morphometrics and edible fresh mass were measured. In addition, nutrient analyses were performed for both mizuna and ripe tomatoe fruit. Seedlings from irradiated seeds (both 40 cGy and 80 cGy) showed significant changes in cotyledon development, but not in root length or morphology. Interestingly, significant changes in vitamin content were found in mizuna grown from 80 cGy (LDR) irradiated seeds. In addition, 80 cGy (LDR) simulated GCRs significantly affected lettuce and tomato seed quality, delayed tomato fruiting, and reduced the total yield of tomato. Generally, compared to 80 cGy, 40 cGy (LDR) of simulated GCRs displayed some impacts to the seeds and seedlings, but to a much lesser degree. (This study was supported by NASA Human Research Program.)

J.T. Richards↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Changes in Plants Developed from Imbibed Seeds Irradiated by Simulated Solar Particle Events

One of the major concerns for long-term exploration missions beyond the Earth’s magnetosphere is radiation risk primarily from solar particle events (SPEs) and galactic cosmic rays (GCRs). With the goal of enabling manned Mars exploration, the production of fresh food during long duration space missions may provide nutritional supplementation and benefit astronauts’ behavioral health. However, the effects of space radiation on plants and plant propagules have not been sufficiently investigated and characterized. In this study, we evaluated the effect of simulated SPEs on imbibed seeds of mizuna mustard, ‘Outredgeous’ red romaine lettuce, and ‘Red Robin’ dwarf tomato. Seeds were exposed to various doses of simulated SPEs (0, 40, 80 cGy, and 200 cGy), either acutely or at a low dose rate (LDR only for 40 and 80 cGy doses), using the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) facility at Brookhaven National Lab (BNL). Simulated SPE exposure was achieved using sequential exposures to protons with a broad energy range at 50-150 MeV/n. Control and irradiated seeds were planted either onto 0.5% MS-based agar plates containing required nutrients for early seedling analysis, or in peat plugs/pots for 28 day (mizuna and lettuce) and 91 day (tomato) grow outs. All plants were maintained under space-vehicle relevant conditions at 3000 ppm CO2, 50% RH, and 23°C, and a 16/8 h photoperiod with 300 μmol·m(exp -2)·s(exp -1) photosynthetically active radiation. Plant/fruit morphometrics and edible fresh mass were measured. Additionally, nutrient analyses were performed on mizuna and tomato fruit. Seedlings from irradiated seeds (both 40 and 80 cGy) showed significant and dose dependent impacts on cotyledon development and root length. Interestingly, small, but significant changes in vitamin content were found in mizuna and tomato fruits grown from 80 cGy (LDR) irradiated seeds. In addition, 80 cGy (LDR) simulated SPEs significantly delayed tomato early seedling development and plant growth, and reduced the quantity of fruits produced from the surviving plants. (This study was supported by NASA Human Research Program.)

J. T. Richards↗

NASA NTRS2010

Depth Dose Distribution Study within a Phantom Torso after Irradiation with a Simulated Solar Particle Event at NSRL

The adequate knowledge of the radiation environment and the doses incurred during a space mission is essential for estimating an astronaut's health risk. The space radiation environment is complex and variable, and exposures inside the spacecraft and the astronaut's body are compounded by the interactions of the primary particles with the atoms of the structural materials and with the body itself Astronauts' radiation exposures are measured by means of personal dosimetry, but there remains substantial uncertainty associated with the computational extrapolation of skin dose to organ dose, which can lead to over- or underestimation of the health risk. Comparisons of models to data showed that the astronaut's Effective dose (E) can be predicted to within about a +10% accuracy using space radiation transport models for galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and trapped radiation behind shielding. However for solar particle event (SPE) with steep energy spectra and for extra-vehicular activities on the surface of the moon where only tissue shielding is present, transport models predict that there are large differences in model assumptions in projecting organ doses. Therefore experimental verification of SPE induced organ doses may be crucial for the design of lunar missions. In the research experiment "Depth dose distribution study within a phantom torso" at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) at BNL, Brookhaven, USA the large 1972 SPE spectrum was simulated using seven different proton energies from 50 up to 450 MeV. A phantom torso constructed of natural bones and realistic distributions of human tissue equivalent materials, which is comparable to the torso of the MATROSHKA phantom currently on the ISS, was equipped with a comprehensive set of thermoluminescence detectors and human cells. The detectors are applied to assess the depth dose distribution and radiation transport codes (e.g. GEANT4) are used to assess the radiation field and interactions of the radiation field with the phantom torso. Lymphocyte cells are strategically embedded at selected locations at the skin and internal organs and are processed after irradiation to assess the effects of shielding on the yield of chromosome damage. The initial focus of the present experiment is to correlate biological results with physical dosimetry measurements in the phantom torso. Further on, the results of the passive dosimetry within the anthropomorphic phantoms represent the best tool to generate reliable data to benchmark computational radiation transport models in a radiation field of interest. The presentation will give first results of the physical dose distribution, the comparison with GEANT4 computer simulations based on a Voxel model of the phantom, and a comparison with the data from the chromosome aberration study.

Berger, Thomas↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Impact of Space Radiation on Plants: from Arabidopsis thaliana to Crops

One of the major concerns for long-term exploration missions beyond the Earth’s magnetosphere is radiation risk, primarily from solar particle events (SPE) and galactic cosmic rays (GCR). With the goal of manned Mars exploration, the production of fresh food during long-duration space missions provides critical nutritional supplementation and may also benefit astronauts’ behavioral health. However, the effects of space radiation on plants and plant propagules have not been sufficiently investigated and characterized. In this study, we evaluated the effect of simulated GCR (using dry seeds) or SPE (using hydrated seeds) on seeds of Arabidopsis, Mizuna mustard, ‘Outredgeous’ red romaine lettuce, and ‘Red Robin’ dwarf tomato. Seeds were exposed to various doses of simulated space radiation scenarios, either acutely or at a low dose rate (LDR), using the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) facility at Brookhaven National Lab (BNL). Exposure to simulated GCR or SPE at the levels tested had no significant impact on the germination rate in Arabidopsis and crop seeds; however, GCR reduced the viability of lettuce and tomato seeds. Overall, the morphological changes of the seedlings cultured from irradiated seeds were dose- and ion quality- dependent, with heavier ions causing more severe damage. These changes ranged from cotyledon deformation, shortened root length, smaller seedling size, and other signs of stress, depending on the seed types. Both 40 and 80 cGy (LDR) exposures of GCR or SPE significantly affected tomato early seedling development, delayed tomato fruiting, and reduced the total yield of tomato. Altered nutritional values were also found in edible biomass, especially for the GCR 80 cGy (LDR) groups. For both GCR and SPE, 40 cGy showed some effects, but to a much lesser extent compared with 80 cGy, which can be considered as the “maximum permissible exposure” for the seed types we evaluated in this study. The impact of space radiation on seeds potentially affects the ability of plants to adapt to other environmental stresses (e.g. microgravity, water stress, and hardware constraints) as well as susceptibility to plant diseases, which need to be furtherly investigated. This research is funded by NASA’s Human Research Program.

J T Richards↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Impact of Space Radiation on Plant Seeds: from Arabidopsis thaliana to Crops

One of the major concerns for long-term exploration missions beyond the Earth’s magnetosphere is radiation risk, primarily from solar particle events (SPE) and galactic cosmic rays (GCR). With the goal of manned Mars exploration, the production of fresh food during long-duration space missions provides critical nutritional supplementation and may also benefit astronauts’ behavioral health. However, the effects of space radiation on plants and plant propagules have not been sufficiently investigated and characterized. In this study, we evaluated the effect of simulated GCR (using dry seeds) or SPE (using hydrated seeds) on seeds of Arabidopsis, Mizuna mustard, ‘Outredgeous’ red romaine lettuce, and ‘Red Robin’ dwarf tomato. Seeds were exposed to various doses of simulated space radiation scenarios, either acutely or at a low dose rate (LDR), using the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) facility at Brookhaven National Lab (BNL). Exposure to simulated GCR or SPE at the levels tested had no significant impact on the germination rate in Arabidopsis and crop seeds; however, GCR reduced the viability of lettuce and tomato seeds. Overall, the morphological changes of the seedlings cultured from irradiated seeds were dose- and ion quality- dependent, with heavier ions causing more severe damage. These changes ranged from cotyledon deformation, shortened root length, smaller seedling size, and other signs of stress, depending on the seed types. Both 40 and 80 cGy (LDR) exposures of GCR or SPE significantly affected tomato early seedling development, delayed tomato fruiting, and reduced the total yield of tomato. Altered nutritional values were also found in edible biomass, especially for the GCR 80 cGy (LDR) groups. For both GCR and SPE, 40 cGy showed some effects, but to a much lesser extent compared with 80 cGy, which can be considered as the “maximum permissible exposure” for the seed types we evaluated in this study. The impact of space radiation on seeds potentially affects the ability of plants to adapt to other environmental stresses (e.g. microgravity, water stress, and hardware constraints) as well as susceptibility to plant diseases, which need to be furtherly investigated. This research is funded by NASA’s Human Research Program.

J T Richards↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Changes in Plants Developed from Imbibed Seeds Irradiated by Simulated Solar Particle Events

One of the major concerns for long-term exploration missions beyond the Earth’s magnetosphere is radiation risk primarily from solar particle events (SPEs) and galactic cosmic rays (GCRs). With the goal of manned Mars exploration, the production of fresh food during long duration space missions may provide nutritional supplementation and benefit astronauts’ behavioral health. However, the effects of space radiation on plants and plant propagules have not been sufficiently investigated and characterized. In this study, we evaluated the effect of simulated SPEs on imbibed seeds of mizuna mustard, ‘Outredgeous’ red romaine lettuce, and ‘Red Robin’ dwarf tomato. Seeds were exposed to various doses of simulated SPEs (0, 40, 80 cGy, and 200 cGy), either acutely or at a low dose rate (LDR only for 40 and 80 cGy doses), using the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) facility at Brookhaven National Lab (BNL). Simulated SPE exposure was achieved using sequential exposures to protons with a broad energy range at 50-150 MeV/n. Control and irradiated seeds were planted either onto 0.5% MS-based agar plates containing required nutrients for early seedling analysis, or in peat plugs/pots for 28 day (mizuna and lettuce) and 91 day (tomato) grow outs. All plants were maintained under space-vehicle relevant controlled environment conditions at 3000 ppm CO2, 50% RH, and 23°C, and a 16/8 h photoperiod with 300 μmol·m-2·s-1 photosynthetically active radiation. Plant/fruit morphometrics and edible fresh mass were measured. In addition, nutrient analyses were performed for both mizuna and ripe tomatoe fruit. Seedlings from irradiated seeds (both 40 cGy and 80 cGy) showed significant changes in cotyledon development, as well as root length. Interestingly, small, but significant changes in vitamin content were found in mizuna and tomato fruits grown from 80 cGy (LDR) irradiated seeds. In addition, 80 cGy (LDR) simulated SPEs significantly affected tomato early seedling development, plant growth, and the quantity of fruits produced from the surviving plants. Generally, compared to 80 cGy, 40 cGy (LDR) of simulated SPEs displayed some impacts to the seeds and seedlings, but to a much lesser degree. (This study was supported by NASA Human Research Program.)

J.T. Richards↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Impact of Space Radiation on Plant Seeds: from Arabidopsis thaliana to Crops

One of the major concerns for long-term exploration missions beyond the Earth’s magnetosphere is radiation risk, primarily from solar particle events (SPE) and galactic cosmic rays (GCR). With the goal of manned Mars exploration, the production of fresh food during long-duration space missions provides critical nutritional supplementation and may also benefit astronauts’ behavioral health. However, the effects of space radiation on plants and plant propagules have not been sufficiently investigated and characterized. This is the final report of our project to summarize the findings of the effect of space radiation exposure on plant seeds from morphometrics, nutritional values, to molecular machenisms. In this study, we evaluated the effect of simulated GCR (using dry seeds) or SPE (using hydrated seeds) on seeds of Arabidopsis, Mizuna mustard, ‘Outredgeous’ red romaine lettuce, and ‘Red Robin’ dwarf tomato. Seeds were exposed to various doses of simulated space radiation scenarios, either acutely or at a low dose rate (LDR), using the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) facility at Brookhaven National Lab (BNL). Exposure to simulated GCR or SPE at the levels tested had no significant impact on the germination rate in Arabidopsis and crop seeds; however, GCR reduced the viability of lettuce and tomato seeds. Overall, the morphological changes of the seedlings cultured from irradiated seeds were dose- and ion quality- dependent, with heavier ions causing more severe damage. These changes ranged from cotyledon deformation, shortened root length, smaller seedling size, and other signs of stress, depending on the seed types. Both 40 and 80 cGy (LDR) exposures of GCR or SPE significantly affected tomato early seedling development, delayed tomato fruiting, and reduced the total yield of tomato. Altered nutritional values were also found in edible biomass, especially for the GCR 80 cGy (LDR) groups. Underlying mechanisms were furtherly evaluated using transcriptomic analysis. For both GCR and SPE, 40 cGy showed some effects, but to a much lesser extent compared with 80 cGy, which can be considered as the “maximum permissible exposure” for the seed types we evaluated in this study. The impact of space radiation on seeds potentially affects the ability of plants to adapt to other environmental stresses (e.g. microgravity, water stress, and hardware constraints) as well as susceptibility to plant diseases, which need to be furtherly investigated. This research is funded by NASA’s Human Research Program.

J T Richards↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Impact of Space Radiation on Plant Seeds: from Arabidopsis thaliana to Crops

One of the major concerns for long-term exploration missions beyond the Earth’s magnetosphere is radiation risk, primarily from solar particle events (SPE) and galactic cosmic rays (GCR). With the goal of manned Mars exploration, the production of fresh food during long-duration space missions provides critical nutritional supplementation and may also benefit astronauts’ behavioral health. However, the effects of space radiation on plants and plant propagules have not been sufficiently investigated and characterized. This is the final report of our project to summarize the findings of the effect of space radiation exposure on plant seeds from morphometrics, nutritiaonal values, to molecular machenisms. In this study, we evaluated the effect of simulated GCR (using dry seeds) or SPE (using hydrated seeds) on seeds of Arabidopsis, Mizuna mustard, ‘Outredgeous’ red romaine lettuce, and ‘Red Robin’ dwarf tomato. Seeds were exposed to various doses of simulated space radiation scenarios, either acutely or at a low dose rate (LDR), using the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) facility at Brookhaven National Lab (BNL). Exposure to simulated GCR or SPE at the levels tested had no significant impact on the germination rate in Arabidopsis and crop seeds; however, GCR reduced the viability of lettuce and tomato seeds. Overall, the morphological changes of the seedlings cultured from irradiated seeds were dose- and ion quality- dependent, with heavier ions causing more severe damage. These changes ranged from cotyledon deformation, shortened root length, smaller seedling size, and other signs of stress, depending on the seed types. Both 40 and 80 cGy (LDR) exposures of GCR or SPE significantly affected tomato early seedling development, delayed tomato fruiting, and reduced the total yield of tomato. Altered nutritional values were also found in edible biomass, especially for the GCR 80 cGy (LDR) groups. Underlying mechanisms were furtherly evaluated using transcriptomic analysis. For both GCR and SPE, 40 cGy showed some effects, but to a much lesser extent compared with 80 cGy, which can be considered as the “maximum permissible exposure” for the seed types we evaluated in this study. The impact of space radiation on seeds potentially affects the ability of plants to adapt to other environmental stresses (e.g. microgravity, water stress, and hardware constraints) as well as susceptibility to plant diseases, which need to be furtherly investigated. This research is funded by NASA’s Human Research Program.

J.T. Richards↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The NASA Space Radiation Laboratory

The Space Radiation Element (SRE) of the Human Research Program (HRP) aims to establish a robust biospecimen and tissue sharing collection (BTSC) to improve sample collection, tracking, access, distribution, and usability to maximize scientific return with intention. Future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond will require the appropriate characterization and mitigation of the many of the health risks associated with cosmic radiation exposure. An ongoing partnership between the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) and the Office of Science for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has established the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) at the DOE Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) to create a space radiation ground-analog. NSRL provides the capability to use simulated space radiation with high energy ion beams for assessment of biological outcomes relevant space radiation risks as well as electronics testing for avionics safety. Current NSRL irradiation capabilities include a variety of exposure variables available for experimental needs: - Up to approximately 10 Gy/min dose-rates with a 20 × 20 cm 2 beam area. - Down to several hundred particles within a 60 × 60 cm 2 beam area. - Dose fractionation across multiple days is also possible. - For most radiobiology experiments the exposure structure, referred to as “spills”, has a 4 second repetition time where ions are extracted uniformly during a 0.3-0.4 second spill, followed by a ~3.6 second recovery time when the beam is off. - Both single or mixed-beam field irradiations are possible including a full 33-beam GCRSim and 6-beam SimGCRSim. Biological experiment capabilities: Two labs for Cell/tissue culture procedures can be conducted in two lab spaces with a separate lab available for sample processing that contains two chemical fume hoods. Sixteen fully equipped cell culture laboratories are available in the NSRL’s Long Term Support area in the Medical Building. The current vivarium configuration can support approximately 8,000 rodents/year for animal-based experiments. The NSRL area animal husbandry system includes five caging racks with 48 spaces in each coupled to a ventilation/filtration system in largest room, and two smaller rooms with conventional caging systems. Schedule: The NSRL is nominally open for experiment scheduling during three runs per year; Spring (March – May), Summer (May - June), and Fall (Sept – Nov). NASA funding is not required for biological and electronic testing experiments at the NSRL.

Jason M Weeks↗

NASA NTRS2010

Radiation Beamline Testbeds for the Simulation of Planetary and Spacecraft Environments for Human and Robotic Mission Risk Assessment

The Center for Radiation Engineering and Science for Space Exploration (CRESSE) at Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas, USA, is establishing an integrated, multi-disciplinary research program on the scientific and engineering challenges faced by NASA and the international space community caused by space radiation. CRESSE focuses on space radiation research directly applicable to astronaut health and safety during future long term, deep space missions, including Martian, lunar, and other planetary body missions beyond low earth orbit. The research approach will consist of experimental and theoretical radiation modeling studies utilizing particle accelerator facilities including: 1. NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) at Brookhaven National Laboratory; 2. Proton Synchrotron at Loma Linda University Medical Center; and 3. Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Specifically, CRESSE investigators are designing, developing, and building experimental test beds that simulate the lunar and Martian radiation environments for experiments focused on risk assessment for astronauts and instrumentation. The testbeds have been designated the Bioastronautics Experimental Research Testbeds for Environmental Radiation Nostrum Investigations and Education (BERT and ERNIE). The designs of BERT and ERNIE will allow for a high degree of flexibility and adaptability to modify experimental configurations to simulate planetary surface environments, planetary habitats, and spacecraft interiors. In the nominal configuration, BERT and ERIE will consist of a set of experimental zones that will simulate the planetary atmosphere (Solid CO2 in the case of the Martian surface.), the planetary surface, and sub-surface regions. These experimental zones can be used for dosimetry, shielding, biological, and electronic effects radiation studies in support of space exploration missions. BERT and ERNIE are designed to be compatible with the experimental areas associated with the above facilities. CRESSE has broad expertise in space radiation in the areas of space radiation environment modeling, Monte-Carlo radiation transport modeling, space radiation instrumentation and dosimetry, radiation effects on electronics, and multi-functional composite shielding materials. The BERT and ERNIE testbeds will be utilized in individual and collaborative research incorporating this expertise. The research goal is to maximize the technical readiness level (TRL) of radiation instrumentation for human and robotic missions, optimizing the return value of CRESSE for NASA exploration and international co-operative missions. Outcomes and knowledge from research utilizing BERT and ERNIE will be applied to a variety of scientific and engineering disciplines vital for safe and reliable execution of future space exploration missions, which can be negatively impacted by the space radiation environment. The testbeds will be central to a variety of university educational activities and educational goals of NASA. Specifically, BERT and ERNIE will enhance educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines for engineering and science students at PVAMU, a historically black college/university. Preliminary data on prototype testbed configurations, including simulated lunar regolith (JSC-1A stimulant based on Apollo 11 samples), regolith/polyethylene composites, and dry ice, will be presented to demonstrate the usefulness of BERT and ERNIE in radiation beam line experiments.

Wilkins, Richard↗

DOE OSTI2021

Impact of galactic cosmic ray simulation on nutritional content of foods

Foods packaged for future deep-space exploration missions may be prepositioned ahead of astronaut arrival, and will be exposed to galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) and solar radiation in deep space at higher levels and different spectrums than those found in low-Earth orbit (LEO). In this study, we have evaluated the impact of a GCR simulation (approximately 0.5 and 5 Gy doses) at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) on two retort thermostabilized food products that are good sources of radiation labile nutrients (thiamin, vitamin E, or unsaturated fats). No trends or nutritional differences were found between the radiation-treated samples and the control immediately after treatment or one-year after treatment. Small changes in a few nutrients were measured following one-year of storage. Further studies are needed to confirm these results, as the foods in this study were heterogeneous, and this may have masked meaningful changes due to pouch-to-pouch variations.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

Performance of laser ion source LION operated at Brookhaven National Laboratory

LION is a laser ion source that has been in operation at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) to provide heavy ions for NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) and Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). It is the first laser ion source to supply stable ion beams for a long-term operation for users at a large accelerator facility in the world. LION is located at the upstream end of the heavy ion accelerator complex at BNL and supplies singly charged ion beams of various ion species. LION has been in operation since 2014 and is planned to be upgraded in 2024. This paper summarizes the operational performance achieved by LION.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Commissioning of Extended Electron Beam Ion Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory

Here, the Extended Electron Beam Ion Source (EEBIS) has been installed and commissioned at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) hadron accelerator complex in the spring of 2023. EEBIS has replaced its predecessor, RhicEBIS, which provided ions for BNL hadron facilities for over a decade since 2009. The motivations for the source upgrade are to provide higher intensities of the Au 32+ ion beam for the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and to provide of an intense source of polarized 3 He 2+ ions for the future Electron Ion Collider (EIC) at BNL. EEBIS is and will continue to be the primary source for a variety of different ion species for the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) at BNL. EEBIS utilizes two identical, two-meter-long unshielded 5T warm bore superconducting solenoids, and it is operated with electron beam current up to 10 A, providing a high-capacity ion traps to fulfill the requirement for high intensity ion beams. The upstream solenoid contains a “short ion trap” with a length of 95 cm, while the “long ion trap” with a length of 178 cm is located inside the downstream solenoid bore. The main features of EEBIS are: * A Gas injection and ionization cell equipped with a Lorenz pulse valve * High-capacity ZAO non-evaporable getter (NEG) custom linear pumping units * In situ apparatus for pumping speed measurements to monitor NEG activation and saturation * “External drift tube” construction with differential pumping stages to provide space for Lorentz pulse valve and 3 He high-field polarization cell * A Ba oxide electron gun cathode. The design of EEBIS as well as the results of its commissioning and first-year operation are presented and discussed.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Radial Steering Displacement Method to Measure Dispersion

The measurement of the dispersion function in a transfer line plays the crucial role for the development of an accurate optics model for the beam tracking simulation. In this technical note, we describe an experimental method to measure the dispersion value at multi-wire location MW063 in the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) transfer line. Finally, we use our MADX model to calculate the dispersion function at the same multi-wire location. The ultimate goal of this measurement and calculation is to understand the right value of dispersion function and the beam size (emittance) at the entrance of NSRL beam line.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Resonant Slow Extraction Simulation using Bmad

Simulations of slow extraction and transport of charged particle beams from synchrotrons requires careful modeling and experimentation. In this paper, we outline how the Bmad modeling software was adapted and developed to run third-integer resonant extraction simulations of beams at Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Booster synchrotron. Further, we show experimental comparisons of the slowly extracted beams transferred to the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) transport line. In this process, beam passes through a stripping foil element at the extraction point, which, along with stripping remaining electrons from the beam ions, acts as a scatterer to modify the phase space, moving to a more Gaussian-like distribution. This modification to the beam helps generate a uniform beam at the beam line’s target location; which is necessary for the variety of experiments performed at the facility. During this work, beam energy loss and multiple scattering by foil routines were built in conjunction with the Bmad code developers and are now integrated into the software.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗