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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2002

Simulated Space Vacuum Ultraviolet (VUV) Exposure Testing for Polymer Films

Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation of wavelengths between 115 and 200 nm produced by the sun in the space environment can cause degradation to polymer films producing changes in optical, mechanical, and chemical properties. These effects are particularly important for thin polymer films being considered for ultra-lightweight space structures, because, for most polymers, VUV radiation is absorbed in a thin surface layer. NASA Glenn Research Center has developed facilities and methods for long-term ground testing of polymer films to evaluate space environmental VUV radiation effects. VUV exposure can also be used as part of sequential simulated space environmental exposures to determine combined damaging effects. This paper will describe the effects of VUV on polymer films and the necessity for ground testing. Testing practices used at Glenn Research Center for VUV exposure testing will be described including characterization of the VUV radiation source used, calibration procedures traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and testing techniques for VUV exposure of polymer surfaces.

Dever, Joyce A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

VUV thin films, chapter 7

The application of thin film technology to the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) wavelength region from 120 nm to 230 nm has not been fully exploited in the past because of absorption effects which complicate the accurate determination of the optical functions of dielectric materials. The problem therefore reduces to that of determining the real and imaginary parts of a complex optical function, namely the frequency dependent refractive index n and extinction coefficient k. We discuss techniques for the inverse retrieval of n and k for dielectric materials at VUV wavelengths from measurements of their reflectance and transmittance. Suitable substrate and film materials are identified for application in the VUV. Such applications include coatings for the fabrication of narrow and broadband filters and beamsplitters. The availability of such devices open the VUV regime to high resolution photometry, interferometry and polarimetry both for space based and laboratory applications. This chapter deals with the optics of absorbing multilayers, the determination of the optical functions for several useful materials, and the design of VUV multilayer stacks as applied to the design of narrow and broadband reflection and transmission filters and beamsplitters. Experimental techniques are discussed briefly, and several examples of the optical functions derived for selected materials are presented.

Zukic, Muamer↗
DOE OSTI2025

High efficiency glass-based VUV metasurfaces

Most advances in metaoptics have been made at visible wavelengths and above; in contrast, the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) has barely been explored despite numerous scientific and technological opportunities. Creating metaoptic elements at this short wavelength is challenging due to the scarcity of VUV transparent materials and the small sizes of the required nanostructures. Here, we present the first transmissive VUV (175 nm) metalens. By using UV-grade silica and trading off the Nyquist requirement for subwavelength structures against feasibility of the fabrication process, we achieve a step-change in diffraction efficiencies for wavelengths shorter than 300 nm. Our large numerical aperture (NA = 0.5) metalens shows an average diffraction efficiency of (53.3 ± 1.4)%. This demonstration opens up new avenues for compact flat optic systems operating in the VUV range.

Martins, Augusto [Univ. of York (United Kingdom)] ↗
NASA NTRS1995

The surface properties of fluorinated polyimides exposed to VUV and atomic oxygen

The effect of atomic oxygen flux and VUV radiation alone and in combination on the surface of fluorinated polyimide films was studied using XPS spectroscopy. Exposure of fluorinated polyimides to VUV radiation alone caused no observable damage to the polymer surface, while an atomic oxygen flux resulted in substantial oxidation of the surface. On the other hand, exposure to VUV radiation and atomic oxygen in combination caused extensive oxidation of the polymer surface after only 2 minutes of exposure. The amount of oxidized carbon on the polymer surface indicated that there is aromatic ring opening oxidation. The changes in the O1s/C1s, N1s/C1s, and F1s/C1s ratios suggested that an ablative degradation process is highly favorable. A synergistic effect of VUV radiation in the presence of atomic oxygen is clearly evidenced from the XPS study. The atomic oxygen could be considered as the main factor in the degradation process of fluorinated polyimide films exposed to a low earth orbit environment.

Forsythe, John S.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Use of VUV Radiation to Control Elastomer Seal Adhesion

Due to their wide operating temperatures and low leakage rates, silicone elastomers are the only class of flight qualified elastomer materials that currently meet NASA's needs for various seal applications, which include docking and hatch seals for future space exploration vehicles. However, silicone elastomers are naturally sticky and exhibit sizeable adhesion when mated against metals and other silicone surfaces. This undesirable adhesion can make undocking spacecraft or opening a hatch problematic. Two approaches that can be used to reduce seal adhesion include use of grease or, application of low doses of atomic oxygen (AO). This paper investigates a third approach: the application of light doses of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation. Presented are the adhesion and leakage characteristics of S0383-70 silicone elastomer exposed to various VUV doses in the 115 to 200 nm wavelength range. The data indicate that adhesion is expected to be less than the target threshold maximum of 2 lb/in(exp2) after about 1 J/cm(exp2) of VUV exposure for seal-to-metal configurations and after 2 J/cm(exp2) for seal-to-seal configurations with no significant damage, or increase in seal leakage. This paper shows that VUV, without AO or grease, can be an effective means to reduce adhesion to the desired levels necessary for space seals with minimal change in seal leak rates.

deGroh, Henry C., III↗
DOE OSTI2025

VUV Photoionization Dynamics and Reactivity of Heterogeneous Water Clusters

This feature focuses on bridging isolated water and bulk water studies. It assembles experiments and theory on water clusters, mainly probed by vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation, and summarizes what the effects are of intermolecular interactions on both the spectroscopy and the VUV-induced processes in water. In particular, it highlights studies of heterogeneous water clusters─those incorporating other molecular species such as naphthalene, methane, formic acid, and glycerol─which serve as model systems to investigate the fundamental roles of water in hydrogen bonding networks, proton transfer, and astrochemical processes. These mixed clusters provide a platform to revisit the stability of protonated water clusters and compile observations of ionization-induced structural rearrangements and fragmentation, especially in systems involving hydroxyl-rich cosolvents. This feature then explores energy transfer mechanisms in molecular clusters, following VUV photoexcitation. It concludes with potential future directions. First, we investigate excited-state dynamics in molecular clusters through direct probing, complementing the synchrotron studies discussed here. Second, exploring gas-phase molecule evaporation from confined spaces and interfaces using advanced spectroscopic techniques sheds light on these ubiquitous, yet currently debated, molecular processes.

Cluster chemistry↗
NASA NTRS1981

Absolute S- and P-plane polarization efficiencies for high frequency holographic gratings in the VUV

High frequency plane gratings (3500 and 3600 gr/mm) have been holographically ruled and blazed for the VUV spectral region. All gratings were coated with 70 nm Al + 25 nm MgF2. Absolute unpolarized and S- and P-plane polarization efficiencies have been measured for the first and second orders in the 120- to 450-nm spectral region at 18.5 and 30 deg angles of deviation. For deep grooves, anomalous features are more pronounced for the P-plane polarization efficiency than for the S-plane polarization efficiency. Holographic gratings can be tailored to produce high polarization or low polarization in the VUV. For comparison, efficiencies and polarization of the best conventional high frequency gratings were also determined. Measurements show that scattered light is significantly lower for holographic gratings in the VUV when compared with the conventional gratings.

Caruso, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS1993

A study of the UV and VUV degradation of FEP

UV and VUV degradation of fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) copolymer was studied using electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The ESR study revealed the formation of a terminal polymer radical. The stability of this radical was investigated under different environments. An XPS study of FEP film exposed to VUV and atomic oxygen showed that oxidation takes place on the polymer surface. The study revealed also that the percentage of CF2 in the polymer surface decreased with exposure time and the percentage of CF, CF3, and carbon attached to oxygen increased. SEM micrographs of FEP film exposed to VUV and atomic oxygen identified a rough surface with undulations similar to sand dunes.

George, Graeme A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

VUV shock layer radiation in an arc-jet wind tunnel experiment

Measurements were made of the radiating gas cap of a blunt body in a NASA-Ames 20 MW arc-jet wind tunnel. The test gas was air. Spectra of the flux incident on a small aperture centered at the stagnation region were obtained. A helium-cooled, magnesium fluoride window transmitted the flux into an evacuated collimating system that focused the aperture onto the entrance slit of a spectrometer. Data were obtained with films and by photomultipliers. The spectral ranges covered were the vacuum ultraviolet, VUV, (120 nm to 200 nm) and the ultraviolet to near infrared (200 nm to 900 nm) with resolutions from 0.05 nm to 0.5 nm. This paper presents the preliminary VUV results from the experiment. Results from the 200 nm to 900 nm spectral range have been presented elsewhere. Representative spectral records from 120 nm to 200 nm are shown. The intense atomic oxygen and nitrogen lines which are of concern to hypersonic flight are measured. Carbon lines are are also seen. These results will be used to help develop and validate aerothermodynamic computational models of arc-jet wind tunnel performance and help to assess the importance of VUV heating to entering spacecraft.

Craig, Roger A.↗
NASA NTRS2005

CIV VUV FPI Interferometer for Transition Region Magnetography

Much in the same way photonics harnesses light for engineering and technology applications, solar physics harnesses light for the remote sensing of the sun. In photonics the vacuum ultraviolet region offers shorter wavelength and higher energies per photon, while in solar physics the VUV allows the remote sensing of the upper levels of the solar atmosphere where magnetic fields dominate the physics. Understanding solar magnetism is a major aim for astrophysics and for understanding solar-terrestrial interaction. The poster is on our instrument development program for a high-spectral-resolution, high-finesse, Vacuum Ultraviolet Fabry-Perot Interferometer (VUV FPI) for obtaining narrow-passband images, magnetograms, and Dopplergrams of the transition region emission line of CIV (155nm). The poster will cover how the V W interferometer will allow us to understand solar magnetism, what is special about the MSFC VUV FPI, and why the University of Toronto F2 eximer has been of particular value to this program.

Gary, G. A.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Characterization of lateral amorphous selenium photodetectors for low-photon and VUV detection at cryogenic temperatures

The performance of amorphous selenium (a-Se) as a cryogenic photodetector material is evaluated through a series of experiments using laterally structured devices operated in a custom optical test stand. These studies investigate the response of a-Se detectors to low-photon fluxes at high electric fields near avalanche conditions, the linearity of the photoconductive response over a wide dynamic range and the direct detection of narrowband 130 nm vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) illumination. At 87 K, matched-filter analysis shows reliable single-shot detection with efficiencies ≥80% and area under the curve (AUC) ≥ 0.85 using as few as ∼ 6800 incident 401 nm photons, corresponding to ∼ 3400 photons within field-active regions after accounting for geometric constraints. Measurements are performed at cryogenic temperatures using calibrated photon fluxes derived from a silicon photomultiplier reference and a characterized optical filter stack. Additional experiments using a tellurium-doped a-Se (a-SeTe) device explore the material's behavior under identical test conditions and demonstrate that avalanche is achievable in a-SeTe at cryogenic temperatures. The results demonstrate reproducible low-noise operation, VUV sensitivity and field-dependent gain behavior in a lateral a-Se architecture, representing the first reported observation of avalanche multiplication in laterally structured a-Se and a-SeTe devices at cryogenic temperatures. These findings support the potential integration of laterally structured a-Se devices into next-generation pixelated liquid-argon time projection chambers (TPCs) requiring scalable, high-field-compatible photon detection systems.

Amorphous selenium↗
DOE OSTI2025

Characterization of Lateral Amorphous Selenium Photodetectors for Low-Photon and VUV Detection at Cryogenic Temperatures

The performance of amorphous selenium (a-Se) as a cryogenic photodetector material is evaluated through a series of experiments using laterally structured devices operated in a custom optical test stand. These studies investigate the response of a-Se detectors to low-photon fluxes at high electric fields near avalanche conditions, the linearity of the photoconductive response over a wide dynamic range and the direct detection of narrowband 130 nm vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) illumination. At 87 K, matched-filter analysis shows reliable single-shot detection with efficiencies greater than or equal to 80 percent and area under the curve (AUC) greater than or equal to 0.85 using as few as approximately 6800 incident 401 nm photons, corresponding to approximately 3400 photons within field-active regions after accounting for geometric constraints. Measurements are performed at cryogenic temperatures using calibrated photon fluxes derived from a silicon photomultiplier reference and a characterized optical filter stack. Additional experiments using a tellurium-doped a-Se (a-SeTe) device explore the material's behavior under identical test conditions and demonstrate that avalanche is achievable in a-SeTe at cryogenic temperatures. The results demonstrate reproducible low-noise operation, VUV sensitivity and field-dependent gain behavior in a lateral a-Se architecture, representing the first reported observation of avalanche multiplication in laterally structured a-Se and a-SeTe devices at cryogenic temperatures. These findings support the potential integration of laterally structured a-Se devices into next-generation pixelated liquid-argon time projection chambers (TPCs) requiring scalable, high-field-compatible photon detection systems.

FOS: Physical sciences↗
NASA NTRS1980

Proton-induced degradation of VUV transmission of LiF and MgF2

Proton-induced degradation of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) transmittance of LiF and MgF2 was measured for 85- and 600-MeV protons for a fluence up to 2.8 x 10 to the 13th p/sq cm. Transmittances were measured from 105 to 210 nm. When the irradiation level for a given material is expressed in terms of absorbed energy per unit of volume of crystal, 85- and 600-MeV protons produce the same degradation. MgF2 is substantially more radiation resistant than LiF in the VUV. Irradiation of LiF with 1.8 x 10 to the 13th p/sq cm at 85 MeV changed the transmittance of the hydrogen Ly-alpha line at 121.6 nm from 55 to 23%. The corresponding change for MgF2 was from 52 to 42% for 2.8 x 10 to the 13th p/sq cm.

Reft, C. S.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Fluorescence from VUV excitation of formaldehyde

The 105-180-nm photoabsorption and fluorescence cross sections of H2CO are determined experimentally using a synchrotron-radiation light source and the apparatus described by Lee (1980). The results are presented in tables and graphs and discussed. VUV emission with threshold wavelength 140.3 nm is detected and attributed to the A 1Pi - X 1Sigma(+) system of CO, and UV emission from the HCO (B-X) system is found below a 147.5-nm threshold, the H-HCO dissociation energy having an upper limit of 3.61 + or - 0.03 eV. At 116 nm, the maximum quantum yields of the VUV and UV fluorescences are about 1.6 and 0.23 percent, respectively.

Suto, Masako↗
NASA NTRS1992

Vacuum Ultraviolet (VUV) radiation-induced degradation of Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene (FEP) Teflon aboard the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF)

Examination of fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) copolymer specimens recovered from the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) provides evidence for degradation attributed to extended solar vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) irradiation. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of sheared FEP film edges reveal the presence of a highly embrittled layer on the exposed surface of specimens obtained from the trailing edge of the LDEF. Similar images obtained for leading edge and control FEP films do not exhibit evidence for such an embrittled layer. Laboratory VUV irradiation of FEP films is found to produce a damage layer similar to that witnessed in the LDEF trailing edge films. Spectroscopic analyses of irradiated films provide data to advance a photochemical mechanism for degradation.

Brinza, David E.↗
NASA NTRS1991

High-reflective multilayers as narrowband VUV filters

A novel coating has been developed for the 120-230 nm wavelength VUV region which yields significantly higher reflectivity over selectable bandwidths and can be used to fabricate high-performance narrowband reflection filters; the spectral properties of such filters are greatly enhanced through their use in tandem. The coating uses a combination of high and low refractive index dielectric pairs. The proper choice of high-low ratio reduces the effects of VUV absorption for high refractive index films whose extinction coefficient is much higher than for a low-index material.

Zukic, Muamer↗
NASA NTRS1998

Synchrontron VUV and Soft X-Ray Radiation Effects on Aluminized Teflon FEP

Surfaces of the aluminized Teflon FEP multi-layer thermal insulation on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) were found to be cracked and curled in some areas at the time of the second servicing, mission in February 1997, 6.8 years after HST was deployed in low Earth orbit (LEO). As part of a test program to assess environmental conditions which would produce embrittlement sufficient to cause cracking of Teflon on HST, samples of Teflon FEP with a backside layer of vapor deposited aluminum were exposed to vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and soft x-ray radiation of various energies using facilities at the National Synchrotron Light Source. Brookhaven National Laboratory. Samples were exposed to synchrotron radiation of narrow energy bands centered on energies between 69 eV and 1900 eV. Samples were analyzed for ultimate tensile strength and elongation. Results will be compared to those of aluminized Teflon FEP retrieved from HST after 3.6 years and 6.8 years on orbit and will he referenced to estimated HST mission doses of VUV and soft x-ray radiation.

Dever, Joyce A.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Luminescence from VUV Irradiated Cosmic Ice Analogs and Organic Residues

The optical luminescent properties for a variety of vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) irradiated cosmic ice analogs and the complex organic residues produced from irradiation might be applicable to Solar System and interstellar observations and processes for various astronomical objects with an ice heritage. Some examples include grain temperature determination and vaporization rates, nebula radiation balance, albedo values, color analysis, and biomarker identification. Detailed results are presented for the mixed molecular ice: H2O:CH3OH:NH3:CO (100:50:1:1), a realistic representation for an interstellar/precometary ice. The irradiated ices and the room-temperature residues resulting from this energetic processing have remarkable photoluminescent properties in the visible (520-570 nm). The luminescence dependence on temperature, thermal cycling, and VUV exposure of the residue is described.

Gudipati, Murthy S.↗