The Computational Group is where the Magneto-Ionized Spacecraft Shield is simulated. Powered by the extensive database of the Radiation Group, the Particle Propagation simulation takes fluxes of particles as input and simulates fully relativistic trajectories when subjected to a magnetic field. We seek to force potentially dangerous particles away from the living quarters of a spaceship via a strong, centralized magnetic field and bubbles of gas meant to slow the particles to safe energies. Figure 1 illustrates this process.
Figure 1: Magneto-Ionization Spacecraft Shield simulation flowchart
The Computational Group has evolved over time, taking on numerous names. The Particle Tracking Group, the Coding Group, the Magnetic Group, and the Energy Loss Group all played a role in contributing to the simulation. The Particle Tracking and Coding Groups developed the methods (theory and code) for calculating 3D relativistic trajectories of charged particles. The Magnetic Group developed a magnetic field generator (in the form of an A-field) for generating spacecraft shields of various geometries. The Energy Loss Group developed the next-level approximation for simulating charged particles. Each of these groups contributed a building block that allows us to determine if our theorized spacecraft shield will work during a human-bound trip to Mars.
The Computational Group’s current focus is on using Monte Carlo particle generation with varying magnetic fields to determine what configuration the spacecraft shield needs to have to protect human passengers. We are performing large-scale runs with thousands of particles (protons, electrons, and galactic cosmic rays) while varying the magnetic field strength. Our next step is to vary the geometry of the magnetic field.
Figure 2: Plot of many particles of various speeds under a magnetic field.
Figure 3: Monte Carlo simulation of protons emitted from one axis under a 0.1 Tesla magnetic field