General Contamination Criteria For Optical Surfaces

James C. Bremer

doi:10.1117/12.932001

19 February 1982 General Contamination Criteria For Optical Surfaces

James C. Bremer

Proceedings Volume 0287, Shuttle Optical Environment; (1982) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.932001
Event: 1981 Technical Symposium East, 1981, Washington, D.C., United States

Abstract

Contamination mechanisms such as particulate accretion, molecular film accretion, and impact cratering can degrade the quality of an optical surface by decreasing its throughput (transmissivity or reflectivity) and/or by increasing its total integrated scatter (TIS). The sensitivity of an optical sensor to a given contaminant species depends upon a number of factors, including the spectral passband of the sensor, the type of surface (mirror or lens, coated or uncoated, etc.), the relative intensities of signal and stray light, and the desired output of the system. A precise analysis of an instrument's contamination sensitivity must consider all of these factors. It is possible, however, to define "acceptable" levels of contamination as those which produce small throughput and TIS degradations in comparison to manufacturing defects and unavoidable environmental conditions. These criteria may be used to calculate a conservative value for the minimum separation between a spaceborne optical sensor and a contamination source such as a solid fuel rocket motor or a chemical release module.

Citation Download Citation

James C. Bremer "General Contamination Criteria For Optical Surfaces", Proc. SPIE 0287, Shuttle Optical Environment, (19 February 1982); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.932001

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