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Laboratory investigations involving high-velocity oxygen atomsFacilities for measuring material reactive characteristics have been under development for several years and span the atom energy range from thermal to 5 eV, the orbital collision energy. One of the high-atom energy facilities (The High Intensity/Energy Atomic Oxygen Source) capable of simulating the reactive part of LEO is described, along with results of beam characterization and preliminary material studies. The oxygen atom beam source was a continuous wave plasma produced by focusing a high-power CO2 laser through a lens system into a rare gas/molecular oxygen mixture chamber at elevated temperature. Material samples were exposed to the high velocity beam through an external feedthrough. The facility showed good stability in continued operation for more than 100 hours, producing fluences of 10 to the 21st to 10 to the 22nd atoms/sq cm. Reaction efficiencies and surface morphology have been measured for several materials at energies of 1.5 and 2.8 eV, matching with data generated from previous space flights. Activation energies for carbon and Kapton as measured in this facility were 800 cal/mole.
Document ID
19890063753
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Leger, Lubert J.
(NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Koontz, Steven L.
(NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Visentine, James T.
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Cross, Jon B.
(Los Alamos National Laboratory NM, United States)
Date Acquired
August 14, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1989
Subject Category
Ground Support Systems And Facilities (Space)
Accession Number
89A51124
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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