M. Campanella

The FLUKA code: an overview

FLUKA is a multipurpose Monte Carlo code which can transport a variety of particles over a wide energy range in complex geometries. The code is a joint project of INFN and CERN: part of its development is also supported by the University of Houston and NASA. FLUKA is successfully applied in several fields, including but not only, particle physics, cosmic ray physics, dosimetry, radioprotection, hadron therapy, space radiation, accelerator design and neutronics. The code is the standard tool used at CERN for dosimetry, radioprotection and beam-machine interaction studies. Here we give a glimpse into the code physics models with a particular emphasis to the hadronic and nuclear sector.

FLUKA status and preliminary results from the July-2005 AGS run

As reported in 2005 Aerospace Conference, the FLUKA Monte Carlo code is being modified as part of NASAs Space Radiation Shielding Program for use in simulating the space radiation environment, in order to evaluate the properties of spacecraft and habitat shielding. Since the last workshop, several notable enhancements have been made to the FLUKA code itself and the ancillary support software. These include improvements to the GUI-based packages for analysis of the results as well as GUI-based tools to ease the setup and running of the programs. Examples of these are presented. From the physics perspective, an accelerator run this July at the AGS was undertaken in collaboration with the groups from LBL and MSFC to measure the fragmentation, neutron and secondary charged particle spectra from Fe, Si and C beams at 3, 5 and 10 GeV/A on a variety of targets including C, Al, Fe, Cu and polyethylene. This energy range is the crossover point in event generator technique and the data help guide the evolution of the event generators in this crucial region. Preliminary results from this run is presented for the angular distribution of the secondary charged particles from scattering angles of 3-45 degrees along with normalized comparisons to RQMD and DPMJET, the event generators that are currently employed within FLUKA

Event generators for simulating heavy ion interactions to evaluate the radiation risks in spaceflight

Simulating the space radiation environment with Monte Carlo codes, such as FLUKA, requires the ability to model the interactions of heavy ions as they penetrate spacecraft and crew members bodies. Monte-Carlo-type transport codes use total interaction cross sections to determine when a particular type of interaction has occurred. Then, at that point, a distinct event generator is employed to determine separately the results of that interaction. The space radiation environment contains a full spectrum of radiation types, including relativistic nuclei, which are the most important component for the evaluation of crew doses. Interactions between incident protons with target nuclei in the spacecraft materials and crew members bodies are well understood. However, the situation is substantially less comfortable for incident heavier nuclei (heavy ions). We have been engaged in developing several related heavy ion interaction models based on a quantum molecular dynamics-type approach for energies up through about 5 GeV per nucleon (GeV/A) as part of a NASA consortium that includes a parallel program of cross section measurements to guide and verify this code development