Establish whether the adopted radiation-transport profile represents the Oxia subsurface

Validate the depth-dependent cosmic-ray dose profile and particle field used for Oxia Planum, including the effects of regolith composition, slab geometry, and secondary-particle production below the modeled 2 m interval.

Background

The dose model is based on an assumed hydrated-clay composition and is checked against a silicon detector-material reference at the surface. That comparison does not validate the dose or particle field in the martian regolith at depth.

The deepest modeled layer is also affected by the finite-slab boundary, and the continuation below 2 m is extrapolated. Since the predicted survival and drilling benefit depend directly on the depth-dose profile, validation is needed before the numerical boundaries can be treated as site-specific.