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Optical characterization of contaminant filmThe so called 'nicotine stain' documented at many locations on the Long Duration Exposure Facility is still unexplained as to the exact origin and mechanism of deposition, although enough is known to have some understanding of the conditions coincident for the formation of the deposits. Direct and scattered atomic oxygen flux, and solar ultraviolet radiation interacting with materials outgassing products have all been implicated in the formation of the dark brown contamination deposits. The nicotine stain represents a potential of performance degradation for spacecraft designed for long term operation in low Earth orbit and therefore, a need exists to characterize this form of spacecraft self contamination and quantify the impact on thermal/optical systems. Optical property measurements in the spectral range of 2 to 10 microns were performed on specimens of the contaminated film. Reflectance measurements of the contaminant film as deposited on the surface and as free standing films are presented along with transmission spectra for the bulk material. Thickness measurements along with micrographic examination of the cross section of the deposit reveal the layered structure of the deposit which further implicates solar illumination as a factor in the deposition mechanism.
Document ID
19920018065
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Blakkolb, Brian K.
(TRW Space and Defense Sector Redondo Beach, CA., United States)
Yaung, James Y.
(TRW Space and Defense Sector Redondo Beach, CA., United States)
Kosic, Tom
(Hughes Communications, Inc., El Segundo CA., United States)
Bowen, Howard
(Hughes Aircraft Co. El Segundo, CA., United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
June 1, 1992
Publication Information
Publication: NASA. Langley Research Center, Second LDEF Post-Retrieval Symposium Abstracts
Subject Category
Optics
Accession Number
92N27308
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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