The FLUKA code for space applications: recent developments

The FLUKA Monte Carlo transport code is widely used for fundamental research, radioprotection and dosimetry, hybrid nuclear
energy system and cosmic ray calculations. The validity of its physical models has been benchmarked against a variety of experimental
data over a wide range of energies, ranging from accelerator data to cosmic ray showers in the earth atmosphere. The code is
presently undergoing several developments in order to better fit the needs of space applications. The generation of particle spectra
according to up-to-date cosmic ray data as well as the effect of the solar and geomagnetic modulation have been implemented and
already successfully applied to a variety of problems. The implementation of suitable models for heavy ion nuclear interactions has
reached an operational stage. At medium/high energy FLUKA is using the DPMJET model. The major task of incorporating heavy
ion interactions from a few GeV/n down to the threshold for inelastic collisions is also progressing and promising results have been
obtained using a modified version of the RQMD-2.4 code. This interim solution is now fully operational, while waiting for the
development of new models based on the FLUKA hadron–nucleus interaction code, a newly developed QMD code, and the implementation
of the Boltzmann master equation theory for low energy ion interactions.