Abstract:
The atomic oxygen with strong oxidizing capacity is the main component of the space particles in the LEO environment. The solar array exposed to this space will be impacted by a large number of oxygen atoms, and the Ag interconnector, as an atomic oxygen-sensitive material on the solar array, will be eroded . Based on the mechanism of the atomic oxygen erosion of Ag material, the ground simulation environment experiment for different thickness Ag interconnectors is carried out, with the atomic oxygen cumulative flux in an around 400 km orbit within a year as the high dose. The experimental results show that the atomic oxygen erodes Ag interconnectors in an "oxidizing - peeling" cycle. The formula for the eroded thickness of Ag interconnectors is derived based on the reaction equation of Ag and atomic oxygen, and the thickness loss rate of Ag interconnectors of different thicknesses is calculated combined with the experimental results. They will provide a technical support for the design of atomic oxygen protection for the solar array in the low earth orbit.