Characterizing Scattering Cross-Sections and Stopping Power of Ionizing Radiation in Matter

As the space travel industry continues to grow, it is important to better understand the increased radiation that astronauts, spacecraft, and satellites are exposed to in space. A deeper understanding will allow manufacturers to improve designs in order to protect their craft and their astronauts. Using models for the scattering cross sections and stopping distances of particles that interact in Lower Earth Orbit (LEO), plots were created to display the behavior of particles as they impact materials commonly implemented on spacecraft. The resulting impacts and degradation from the radiation exposure are analyzed in this research, and a further interpretation of the results applied to future research is discussed