A Study Nasa Cr-1532 Tech Library Kafb, Nm
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i A STUDY NASA CR-1532 TECH LIBRARY KAFB, NM A STUDY OF PROTON-INDUCED EFFECTS ON REFLECTIVE SURFACES OF SPACE MIFtR0R.S By Roger B. Gillette and Bruce A. Kenyon Distribution of this report is provided in the interestof informationexchange. Responsibility for thecontents resides in the author or organization that prepared it. Prepared under Contract No. NAS 1-7627 by THE BOEING COMPANY Seattle, Wash. for Langley Research Center NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION For sole by the Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Information Springfield, Virginia 22151 - CFSTI price $3.00 - TABLE OFCONTENTS 2 Page 1.0 SUMMARY 1 2.0 INTRODUCTION 3 TEST SPECIMENS 3.0 TEST 6 4.0 APPARATUS AND PROCEDURES 7 4.1 Proton Radiation FacilityRadiation Proton 4.1 7 4.2 In-Situ OpticalIn-Situ 4.2 Measurement Facility 9 4.2 .1 Design Requirements Design 4.2.1 9 4.2 .2 Ultraviolet ReflectometerUltraviolet 4.2.2 9 4.2 .3 Scattered-Light4.2.3 Measurement Apparatus12 4.3 Visible and Infrared ReflectometersInfrared andVisible 4.3 13 4.4 Interferometers 14 5.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 15 5.1 MgF /Aluminum CoatedMirrors 15 2 5.1.1 DependenceIntegrated-Flux 15 5.1.2 Flux Dependence 16 5.1.3 Post-IrradiationReflectance Changes 17 5.1 .4 Surface Finish Studies Finish Surface 5.1.4 18 5.1.5 Scattered-Light Data 19 5.2Coated LiF/Aluminum 21 Mirrors 5.2.1 Integrated-Flux Dependence 21 DependenceIntegrated-Flux 5.2.1 5.2.2 Flux Dependence 21 Dependence Flux 5.2.2 5.2 .3 Post-Irradiation5.2.3 Reflectance Changes 22 D iscus sion of Results 23 Results of 5.3 Discussion 5.3 .1 Contamination5.3.1 DetectionExperiments 23 5.3 .2 Residual 5.3.2 Gas Analyses 26 5.3.3 ContaminantDeposition5.3.3 Film Rate 27 5.3.4 Cleaning Experiments Cleaning 5.3.4 28 5.3.5 Contaminant-Film-InducedPrediction of 31 Reflectance Changes 5.3.6 Degradation 5.3.6 34 in Space 6.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 35 7.0 APPENDIXES AppendixA-Mirror Sample Procurement Specifications 37 AppendixB-Miscellaneous Data On Mirror Substrates & Coatings 40 Appendix C-Optical Constants of Aluminum and MgF 43 2 AppendixD-Optical Constants Contaminant for Film46 8.0 RE3EFXNCES 47 - ~ ~~~~~ d iii Q A STUDY OF PROTON-INDUCED EFFECTS ON REFLECTIVE SURFACES OF SPACEMIRRORS By Roger B. Gillette andBruce A. Kenyon TheBoeing Company, Seattle, Washington 1.0 SUMMARY The results of a research program to study the effects oflow energy protons on reflective surfaces for space optical systems, are presented in this report. Theprimary objective of the program was todetermine the effects on telescope mirror reflective surfaces, of the proton radia- tionenvironment at synchronousEarth orbit. Secondary objectives of the study were to obtain information on surface finish characteristics and reflectance characteristics of three promising mirror substrates. Mirror test: specimensevaluated in the study included polished sub- strates offused silica, Cer-Vit*, andKanigen**-nickel-plated beryllium; coatedwith aluminumand overcoated with MgF Also included were-speci- 2' mens ofpolished fused silica coatedwith aluminumand LiF. The experi- mental program studied the dependence of specular reflectance and scatter- ingproperties on: (1) proton integrated flux; (2) protonflux; (3) post- irradiationexposure to air; and (4) coating and substratetype. The effects of integrated fluxes up to 10l6 protons-cm-2 sec-' of 10 keV energy were evaluated. Results of experiments showed that the primary mechanism of damage was proton-induced deposition of a contaminant film onto the mirror sur- faces.Cleaning experiments and theoretical predictions of reflectance changeson MgF /A1-coated mirrors, showed that the contaminant film 2 accountedfor essentially all of theobserved damage. Similarlycleaning experiments on LiF/Al-coated mirrors indicated that the majority of the observed damage was a contaminantfilm effect. In relating experimental results tothe synchronous-orbit space environment, it was concludedthat negligible degradation will occur over a two-yearperiod if no contaminant film deposition occurs. An oxidation cleaning technique was developed which could be used for removing the film and restoring the reflectance to nearly the pre- irradiationvalue. Results suggested that this cleaning technique could be utilized for salvaging space mirrors which may become contaminated in either Earth tests or space use. ~~ * Cer-Vit is thetrade name for a lowcoefficient of expansion I material produced by Owens-Illinois Company. ** Kanigen is theGeneral American TransportationCorporation trade name for a non-electrical technique of plating nickel-phosphorous. 4 Lightscattering measurements at wavelengthsof 253.7 nm and 500 nm revealed no significantradiation-induced changes in scattering from eithertype of surface. Surface fin$sh studies also showed thatthe fused silica and Cer-Vit substrates were polishedsmoother than beryllium substrates, and the deposition of reflective coatings had a negligible effect on microroughness. 2.0 INTRODUCTION The primary objective of this study was to determine the effects of the proton radiation environment-at synchronous Earth orbit, on telescope mirror reflective surfaces.Secondary objectives of the study were to obtain information. concerning. the surface finish and reflectance character- istics of.threepromising mirror substrates. It is intendedthat the results will be of assistance in choosing the mirror substrate and coat- ing combination which will provide the optimum combination of high reflectance andlow degradation. inthe space environment. The radiakion environmentand mirror test specimens were selected for compatibility withplans (ref. 1) toplace a largeastronomical telescope mirror at synchronousaltitude. However, thestudy results should be applicable to many other space optical 'systems (ref. 2). Mirror test specimensevaluated in the study included polished sub- strates offused silica, Cer-Vit, andKanigen-nickel-plated beryllium; all were coatedwith aluminumand overcoatedwith MgF . Also included were specimens of polished fused siliea coaced with azuminum and overcoated withLiF. These vacuum deposited coatings were applied with techniques which-produce maximum reflectance in the vacuum-ultraviolet wavelength region.Uncoated, polished specimens of each substratetype were also prepared for surface fipish experiments. The, exper.imenta1. program studied- the dependence of specular refleetanceand,scattered light properties on: (1) .protonintegrated flux; (2) protonflux;- (3) post-irradiationexposure to air; and (4) substrate and-coatingtype. The effectof the vacuum depositedcoatings on sub- stf%te,micro-roughness was alsoevaluated. T;roton integrated flux s to 10 protons-cur -2 andfluxes between 2 x 10 and 1OI2 protons-cm- 2 sec-1 were used,Flux dependence was evaluated to establish the validity of testing at exposure rates far higher than those encountered in space. Post-irradiation reflectance measurements(before and after exposure to air) were performed- to determine- whether specimens of this type need to be held,in vacuum in the time period between irradiation and reflectance measurements.Reflectance measurements were performedover the wave- lengthrange.from 90 to 50,000 nm. Theregion from 90 to 250 nm was covered with an ultraviolet reflectometer which provided capability for performing both reflectance and scattered light measurements in the irradiation chamber. Reflectance at longerwavelengths was-measured in moreconventional, commercial reflectometers. At the beginning of the study an analysis. was .made of the most recent charged-particleenvironment .data at synchronousaltitude. Solar electro- magnetic radiation was not considered because planned configurations for telescopemirrors were shieldedfrom the sun. The trappedproton environmentsuggested for this study is presentedin Figure 1. Boththe integral flux (f) and the differential flux (df/dE)*spectra of these trappedprotons are shown. These spectra are basedprimarily upon the - lowenergy results reported-by Frank (refs. 3 and 4) and are consistent with the results of Katz, et al, (ref. 5). Theaverage omnidirectional * (E) representsproton energy I- 3 integral flux of protons is expected to be 3.5 x 108 protons-cm'2 sec-' or 2.8 x lo7 protons-cmr2 sec ster-I. A surfacewith 27r geometry will encounter 5.5 x 1015 protons cm-2 year-l with roughly 70 percent having energies less than 30 keV. The trappedelectron environment-at synchronous altitude, based upon theresults presented.by Frank (ref. 3) and Vette (ref. 6), yields a time averagedelectron flux of about 1 x electrons-cm'2year-1 withenergies greater than 10.keV on a 27r surface. The highenergy component is adequately re resented.by an exponential spectrum with an integral flux of. 1.5 x lOlg electron-cm-2year-l having a mean energy of 215 keV (ref. 6). The surface ionization dose. for. the combined proton and electron environment was estimated to be about 2 x 108 Joules-kg-l-yr-l, with about 5 percentbeing due to the electrons. Displacement damage inthe over- coating would bepredominantly proton induced. Based onthese considera- tions; this study was directedtowards determining the effects of low energy protons. In selecting a proton energy for this program, consideration was given to the.ionization dose and displacement damage expectedfrom the aboveenvironment,. The differential surface dose rate was found to peak between-15and-40 keV, while the displacement yield was largely due to theprotons below 10 keV. Thus,an energy of 10 keV was chosenfor the tests. It was anticipatedthat