Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Measurements Of The Temperature Dependence Of Radiation Induced Conductivity In Polymeric Dielectrics, Jodie Corbridge Gillespie

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Radiation Induced Conductivity (RIC) is the change in conductivity of a material due to bombardment from incident high energy radiation. This study is to determine the effect of RIC and RIC's temperature dependence in polymeric dielectrics, specifically Kapton HN, Kapton E, PTFE Teflon, Tefzel, and Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE). Interest in these materials arises from applications for use in future spacecraft, specifically the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

One major issue in the design of JWST, as in all spacecraft, is the charging and arcing of exposed materials, resulting in fatal damage to the electronics and/or the craft itself. Particles …