HYPERVELOCITY OXYGEN SOURCE FOR THE STUDY OF ATOM-SURFACE INTERACTIONS

SPACE-BASED FACILITIES FACE AN UNEXPECTEDLY HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT AT ORBITAL ALTITUDES DUE TO CHEMICAL INTERACTIONS WITH ATOMIC OXYGEN AT THE HIGH VELOCITIES OF ORBITING SPACECRAFT. DEGRADATION AND EROSION OF MATERIALS FACING INTO THE ATMOSPHERIC WIND POSE A THREAT TO THE EFFECTIVE LIFE AND UTILITY OF SATELLITES, SPACE STATION SYSTEMS, AND EXPECIALLY SPACE-BASED OPTICAL INSTRUMENTATION. WE PROPOSE TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF CONSTRUCTING A GROUND-BASED FACILITY TO STUDY OXYGEN-ATOM BOMBARDMENT OF SPACE MATERIALS UNDER SIMULATED SPACE CONDITIONS. THIS FACILITY WOULD INCORPORATE AN ELECTRIC DISCHARGE HEATED HYPERTHERMAL ATOMIC OXYGEN BEAM SOURCE, "ZONE OF SILENCE" SKIMMING TECHNIQUES, AND STATE-OF-THE-ART DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS. THE GOAL OF SUCH STUDIES WOULD BE TO PROVIDE A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF ATOM-SURFACE CHEMISTRY.