Proton radiation damage in optical filter glass

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optical Engineering
• Space Science

Background:

• Optical filters are crucial components in spaceflight instrumentation.
• Degradation of optical properties due to space radiation can compromise mission success.
• Schott BG-39 and Hoya CM-500 are commonly used blue-green filter glasses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the radiation hardness of Schott BG-39 and Hoya CM-500 filter glasses.
• To determine their suitability for applications exposed to proton radiation in space environments.

Main Methods:

• Samples of Schott BG-39 and Hoya CM-500 were irradiated with protons.
• Proton energies ranged up to 63 MeV.
• Optical transmittance was measured before and after irradiation at various doses.

Main Results:

• Low-energy proton (2.7 MeV) irradiation resulted in negligible transmittance change for both glass types.
• High-energy proton (up to 63 MeV) irradiation caused significant transmittance reduction in Schott BG-39.
• Hoya CM-500 exhibited negligible transmittance change even after high-energy proton irradiation.

Conclusions:

• Hoya CM-500 demonstrates superior radiation tolerance to proton bombardment compared to Schott BG-39.
• Hoya CM-500 is a suitable candidate for spaceflight applications requiring optical filtering under proton radiation exposure.
• Schott BG-39 may be less suitable for high-energy proton environments in space.