Experimental Study of Micrometeoroids Impacts on an X-Ray Telescope Model using Micro-pore Optics and CMOS Detector with Micron-sized Particles

Abstract

Abstract This laboratory study aimed to assess the potential damage caused by the impact of micrometeoroids or space debris on a novel X-ray focusing telescope composed of Micro-pore Optics (MPO) plates and Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) sensors. An impact experiment was conducted on a simplified model of an X-ray telescope composed of two MPO plates and one CMOS sensor. The diameters of the projectiles we used are 1 ∼ 50 μm. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) are methods for investigating the morphology of the impact craters and analyzing the composition of residues. We described the impact crater morphology on both MPO plates and CMOS chips. Results of impact craters size and number show that one 1 μm particle produces a damaged area of 18 μm2 in aluminum (Al) film of the MPO plate on average (at a median speed of 2 km s−1), resulting in 10 light leak spots on the CMOS chip. Meanwhile, one particle with a diameter of 50 μm may damage 3 micropores (about 7 × 10−3 mm2) on the MPO plate at a median speed of 6 km s−1. About 1.5 particles could cause one bad pixel on the CMOS chip behind the MPO plates. Nevertheless, no failure of the CMOS sensor or severe damage to the MPO device was observed after the impact.