Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifier

672

Date

2012

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Physics

Committee Member

Firouzeh Sabri

Committee Member

Jeffrey G Marchetta

Committee Member

John W Hanneken

Abstract

Surface damage to critical instruments during space exploration is a factor that must be identified if it were to occur. A non-invasive remote sensing optical technique for detecting surface damage on RTV 655 was investigated under different environmental conditions. The adopted sesning mechanism utilizes speckle contrast fluctuations and inteference patterns created as a result of defect illumination with a 50 mW He-Ne laser. Defects expected to occur in orbit were simulated in a laboratory environment and the effect of defect geometry on the optical sensing technique was also explored. Compound samples containing both RTV 655 and polyurea crosslinked silica aerogel microparticles were damaged similarly as well. Speckle contrast measurements identified the existance of surface defects at the onset of strain at 2.3 %. The type of defect was clearly visible in the interference patterns collected suggesting both speckle contrast and interference images are necessary to have an accurate representation of the defect.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to the local University of Memphis Electronic Theses & dissertation (ETD) Repository.

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