An optical multipass radiation system (OMRS) for heating levitated samples

The present system for spaceborne containerless material sample heating uses lamp systems with heating efficiencies of the order of 65 percent, potentially producing 30 W/sq mm over areas of 0.3 sq cm. The effectiveness of these lamp systems has its basis in the 'multipassing' of the lamp beams to recycle fluxes not absorbed by the sample during the initial pass. The actual multipass system's performance will have a power-law dependence on the quality of the coatings and optical surfaces illuminated; a detailed study of the spectral and dichroic characteristics, surface-scattering, and optical figure specifications of the system must be completed for full characterization.