METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ATOMIC BEAM IRRADIATION

Method and apparatus are disclosed for automatically and remotely removing unwanted organic films from surfaces of vehicles and satellites in space. A particle beam generator (12) draws molecular oxygen from an on-board supply chamber (14) and develops a stream of positively charged oxygen ions (40)...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

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Bibliographische Detailangaben
1. Verfasser:	CHAMPETIER, ROBERT, J
Format:	Patent
Sprache:	eng
Schlagworte:	AIRCRAFT AVIATION CLEANING CLEANING IN GENERAL COSMONAUTICS DECORATIVE ARTS OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS OPTICS PAINTING OR ARTISTIC DRAWING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR PERFORMING OPERATIONS PHYSICS PRESERVING PAINTINGS PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL SURFACE TREATMENT TO OBTAIN SPECIAL ARTISTIC SURFACE EFFECTSOR FINISHES TRANSPORTING VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
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Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:	Method and apparatus are disclosed for automatically and remotely removing unwanted organic films from surfaces of vehicles and satellites in space. A particle beam generator (12) draws molecular oxygen from an on-board supply chamber (14) and develops a stream of positively charged oxygen ions (40). These ions are directed towards a surface or component of a spacecraft such as a solar cell, radiation emission aperture, or sensor objective lens (44) which has been coated by an opacifying, organic contaminant layer (42) that impairs the efficacy of the spacecraft. The ions (40) bombard the contaminant layer (42) and remove it by both kinetic interaction and chemical oxidation. Spacecraft surfaces and components may be restored and renewed to their original operational capabilities through this method of volatilizing debilitating occluding residues which have been hardened by solar radiation away from the spacecraft as harmless gases (50).