Optical Analysis Methods for Material Films Condensed on Cryogenic Surfaces of Spacecraft
Abstract
Exhaust gases from rocket motors and outgassing products of spacecraft materials can migrate, in a space environment, to other surfaces of the spacecraft and affect their functions. Cryogenically cooled optical systems are particularly vulnerable to these contaminants as are thermal control surfaces and solar cells. One of the goals of the contamination program at AEDC is to predict the optical effects of contaminant layers on optical systems from laboratory measurements of the optical indices, n and k, of contaminant materials. Because the cloud of contaminant molecules, which eventually form a condensate, contain a mixture of molecular species, researchers are seeking ways to predict the optical properties of films composed of constituents using the known properties of each constituent. In this report, the authors examine the physics which describes the optical properties of thin films composed of mixtures of constituents. Examples of the analysis methods are presented for thin films composed of mixtures using AEDC data on 20K thin films of simple molecules and 80K films condensed from the outgassing products of selected spacecraft materials.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA284014
Entities
People
- B. A. Budde
- K. F. Palmer
- M. Z. Williams
- W. T. Bertrand
Organizations
- Arnold Engineering Development Complex