Rubber is amazingly resilient, but maybe it would need to be augmented with Kevlar or other material. Think Bigelow modules are more resistant than the ISS aluminium cans.
No, xenon (and it is xenon, not Xenon), isn't much good for radiation protection, because of its high atomic weight: 131.3. You want light nuclei, not heavy ones, so that cosmic rays and other energetic particles bouncing off the shielding nuclei lose a lot of energy. If you throw a marble at a stationary bowling ball, the marble will bounce off without losing much speed. If you throw a marble at another marble, the incoming marble will tend to transfer much of its energy to the second marble.
If you're going to use your radiation shielding for propellant then hydrogen is best.
I'm curious: OP, where did the idea to use xenon come from? it feels a very arbitrary choice.
Quote from: as58 on 05/07/2017 07:47 pmI'm curious: OP, where did the idea to use xenon come from? it feels a very arbitrary choice.Thankyou everyone for your responses.I got the idea from reading about LFTRs (Liquid Flouride Thorium Reactors) where xenon is a byproduct of the fission process and must be removed because it blocks the neutrons propagating the fission process. I guess I didn't bother to think it through and realize that radiation is another thing altogether. I just assumed that a large atom would block or absorb everything.
Quote from: scienceguy on 05/07/2017 11:56 pmIf you're going to use your radiation shielding for propellant then hydrogen is best.Very true, if you can solve the insulation and active cooling problems and are structurally efficient (and aren't planning on landing your whole rocket, hydrogen is essentially unbeatable. Even could work in a hybrid electromagnetic shield setup, since hydrogen can cool the superconducting coils.
I've always assumed that radiation was best shielded by heavy atoms, which have many electrons. Is this only for gamma rays?
Quote from: Robotbeat on 05/08/2017 12:06 amQuote from: scienceguy on 05/07/2017 11:56 pmIf you're going to use your radiation shielding for propellant then hydrogen is best.Very true, if you can solve the insulation and active cooling problems and are structurally efficient (and aren't planning on landing your whole rocket, hydrogen is essentially unbeatable. Even could work in a hybrid electromagnetic shield setup, since hydrogen can cool the superconducting coils.Why do you need it cooled if it is for insulation? Just to increase density to improve shielding?