Real-time measurement of temperature variation during nanosecond pulsed-laser-induced contamination deposition.

In this paper, a study of heat generation during UV laser-induced contamination (LIC) and potentially resulting subsequent thermal damage are presented. This becomes increasingly interesting when optics with delicate coatings are involved. During LIC, radiation can interact with outgassing molecules, both in the gas phase and at the surface, thus triggering chemical and photo-fixation reactions.

Minimization of the shadow patterns produced by periodic mesh grids in extreme ultraviolet telescopes.

Thin metallic films are used as passband filters in space telescopes operating in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV). Because of their thinness, typically 100 to 200 nm, they are very sensitive to static pressure differentials and to mechanic and acoustic vibrations. Therefore, they are difficult to manage in all phases of a space program, from manufacturing to vacuum testing to launch.