A benchmark solution for heavy galactic cosmic ion cascade

With our ever-increasing interest in establishing humankind's presence in space, the protection of personnel from highly energetic radiation in the space environment has become acutely relevant. A significant factor limiting human travel in space is the absorbed dose in tissue resulting from galactic cosmic rays. NASA's new initiatives to colonize the moon and send an expedition to Mars, has greatly increased interest in reliably simulating the cumulative whole body dose received during space missions. Dose simulations require proper verification, which is the primary theme of our presentation. In the following analysis of ion cascades from Galactic Cosmic Rays, we present a mathematically tractable, yet representative analytical benchmark. (authors)