PSTL: Investigating Particle Scattering in Triply Periodic Minimal Surface Lattices

Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) present significant radiation hazards for deep spacemissions. Traditional shielding approaches such as EVA suits and habitats are heavyand expensive. Triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) gyroid lattices are known fortheir high strength-to-weight ratios, yet their ability to deflect charged particles throughmultiple Coulomb scattering (MCS) is largely uncharacterized. We used the Geant4 tosimulate 1–3 GeV/c protons incident on solid PLA and on gyroid TPMS lattices withporosities of 50%, 65%, 75%, and 85%, all matched in areal density. ROOT analysis of10⁶ trajectories per geometry yields root-mean-square (RMS) scattering angles andresidual energy spectra. Relative to solid PLA, the gyroid lattices increase the RMSscattering angle by 12%, 22%, 35%, and 48%, respectively, while the mean energyloss changes by less than 5%. Thus, the continuous TPMS curvature enhances MCSper unit mass without compromising stopping power. The scattering enhancementscales with surface-to-volume ratio, consistent with a geometric amplification of large-angle deflections. Our experimental results show that gyroid TPMS architecturesimprove shielding efficiency for lightweight applications.