The Southwest Research Institute ultraviolet reflectance chamber (SwURC): a far ultraviolet reflectometer

Gregory S. Winters; Kurt D. Retherford; Michael W. Davis; Stephen M. Escobedo; Eric C. Bassett; Edward L. Patrick; Maggie E. Nagengast; Matthew H. Fairbanks; Paul F. Miles; Joel W. Parker; G. Randall Gladstone; David C. Slater; S. Alan Stern

doi:10.1117/12.930184

15 October 2012 The Southwest Research Institute ultraviolet reflectance chamber (SwURC): a far ultraviolet reflectometer

Gregory S. Winters, Kurt D. Retherford, Michael W. Davis, Stephen M. Escobedo, Eric C. Bassett, Edward L. Patrick, Maggie E. Nagengast, Matthew H. Fairbanks, Paul F. Miles, Joel W. Parker, G. Randall Gladstone, David C. Slater, S. Alan Stern

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 8495, Reflection, Scattering, and Diffraction from Surfaces III; 84950N (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.930184
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2012, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

We designed and assembled a highly capable UV reflectometer chamber and data acquisition system to provide bidirectional scattering data of various surfaces and materials. This chamber was initially conceived to create laboratory-based UV reflectance measurements of water frost on lunar soil/regolith simulants, to support interpretation of UV reflectance data from the Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (“LAMP”) instrument on-board the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft. A deuterium lamp illuminates surfaces and materials at a fixed 45° incident beam angle over the 115 to 200 nm range via a monochromator, while a photomultiplier tube detector is scanned to cover emission angles -85° to +85° (with a gap from -60° to -30°, due to the detector blocking the incident beam). Liquid nitrogen cools the material/sample mount when desired. The chamber can be configured to test a wide range of samples and materials using sample trays and holders. Test surfaces to date include aluminum mirrors, water ice, reflectance standards, and frozen mixtures of water and lunar soil/regolith stimulant. Future UV measurements planned include Apollo lunar samples, meteorite samples, other ices, minerals, and optical surfaces. Since this chamber may well be able to provide useful research data for groups outside Southwest Research Institute, we plan to take requests from and collaborate with others in the UV and surface reflection research community.

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Gregory S. Winters, Kurt D. Retherford, Michael W. Davis, Stephen M. Escobedo, Eric C. Bassett, Edward L. Patrick, Maggie E. Nagengast, Matthew H. Fairbanks, Paul F. Miles, Joel W. Parker, G. Randall Gladstone, David C. Slater, and S. Alan Stern "The Southwest Research Institute ultraviolet reflectance chamber (SwURC): a far ultraviolet reflectometer", Proc. SPIE 8495, Reflection, Scattering, and Diffraction from Surfaces III, 84950N (15 October 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.930184

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