Abstract
A team at Goddard Space Flight center has developed a coating of aluminum mirrors they term XeLiF. This coating has high ultraviolet reflection and improved environmental stability over similar LiF coatings. For these reasons, it is a potential candidate for the future Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) flagship space telescope mission. However, the stability of XeLiF at the planned L2 orbit of HWO has not been investigated. This study highlights the potential damage to XeLiF when irradiated by electrons that will be present at L2. This radiation will begin removing LiF after 6 years of exposure as well as start roughening the surface. An RMS roughness over 40 nm will be reached by 30 years. Protective measures or replacement coatings need to be investigated.
Degree
MS
College and Department
Computational, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences; Physics and Astronomy
Rights
https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Lewis, Devin M., "Stability of LiF Mirror Coatings on Space Telescopes at L2 Orbit" (2025). Theses and Dissertations. 10625.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/10625
Date Submitted
2025-01-06
Document Type
Thesis
Handle
http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd13462
Keywords
LiF, HWO, radiation damage, L2 orbit, SEM
Language
english