title: Susceptibility of electro-optic components to degradation in a space environment.
abstract: Possible causes of degradation of electro-optic systems operating in a space environment include not only the effects of radiation but also the effects of temperature, temperature cycling, atomic oxygen effects (for low-Earth orbits), micrometeoroid impacts, and contamination effects. For the majority of electro-optic components, the radiation environment in space does not present a significant problem. For a few components, or for electro-optic systems that must operate in a high radiation environment, special precautions must be observed. The effects of radiation, as well as other problems of the space environment, on electro-optic components, including recent results from the LDEF satellite experiments and some later measurements, are reviewed. Guidelines for materials and component selection shielding are presented.
authors.affiliation: Georgia Tech Research Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30332, USA.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Blue
mesh_terms: D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D005459:Fluorides / Q000528:radiation effects; D017616:Magnesium Compounds / Q000528:radiation effects; D055095:Optics and Photonics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods*; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing; D012666:Semiconductors; D013026:Space Flight / Q000295:instrumentation*; D018531:Spacecraft / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D017616:Magnesium Compounds; C031288:magnesium fluoride; D005459:Fluorides