The Complex Irradiation Facility at the DLR site in Bremen

The Complex Irradiation Facility (CIF) is used for experimental research into the degradation of materials under simulated space radiation conditions as those found beyond that of low Earth orbits. Three sources of light and a proton/electron dual beam accelerator are connected to an irradiation chamber where the samples can be exposed to a precisely defined dose of electromagnetic radiation (IR, visible light, UV and VUV), as well as electrons and protons. The energy from the protons and electrons, which can amount up to 100 keV, enables a penetration depth of a few micrometres, depending on the sample. This allows the in-depth study of the main degradation effects on the sample's surface area. The facility is set up with ultra-high vacuum technology performed with metal gaskets without  organic components, such as artificial gaskets and pump oil. This prevents self-contamination, which could influence the results of the experiments.

Key search areas

Research into the changes of the mechanical and thermo-optical properties of the material due to protons/electron- and electromagnetic radiation.

Technical parameters of the CIF

Radiation chamber:

System pressure:

• <10^-8 mbar (without VUV source, depending on the heat generated by the solar simulator),
• 10^-6 mbar (depending on the settings used for the VUV source).

Licht source:

Proton/electron dual beam linear accelerator

Thermal conditioning of the target:

Measurement technology:

• External measuring systems for determining the reflectivity and absorption coefficient
• Quadrupole mass spectrometer
• Radiation, temperature and pressure sensors

References:

1. M. Sznajder, T. Renger, A. Witzke, R. Thornagel, U. Geppert, Design and performance of a vacuum-UV simulator for material testing under space conditions, Advances in Space Research 52 (11) (2013) 1993-2005.
2. T. Renger, M. Sznajder, A. Witzke, U. Geppert, The Complex Irradiation Facility at DLR-Bremen, Journal of Materials Science and Engineering A 4 (1) (2014) 1-9.
3. ASTM, E512-94 (2010), Standard Particle for Combined, Simulated Space Environment Testing of Thermal Control Materials with Electromagnetic and Particulate Radiation, 2010.
4. ECSS-Q-ST-70-06C, Particle and UV Radiation Testing for Space Materials, 2008.