Physical design and Monte Carlo simulations of a space radiation detector onboard the SJ-10 satellite

A radiation gene box (RGB) onboard the SJ-10 satellite is a device carrying mice and drosophila cells to determine the biological effects of space radiation environment. The shielded fluxes of different radioactive sources were calculated and the linear energy transfers of gamma-rays, electrons, protons and alpha-particles in the tissue were acquired using A-150 tissue-equivalent plastic. Then, a conceptual model of a space radiation instrument employing three semiconductor sub-detectors for deriving the charged and uncharged radiation environment of the RGB was designed. The energy depositions in the three sub-detectors were classified into 15 channels (bins) in an algorithm derived from the Monte Carlo method. The physical feasibility of the conceptual instrument was also verified by Monte Carlo simulations.