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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 March 2011
The changes in optical properties and damage mechanism of ZnO/silicone white paint caused by <200 keV protons in space were investigated in terms of ground-based simulation testing. The energies of protons were chosen as 50, 90, and 110 keV. The results show that the change in solar absorptance Δαs increases with increasing irradiation fluence as well as the proton energy. On the basis of photoluminescence spectroscopy, it is revealed that with increasing proton fluence, the 660-nm emission band related to the interstitial Zn-ions changes little, the 405-nm emission band related to the Zn vacancies decreases and tends to disappear, the 460-nm emission band related to the double ionized oxygen vacancies decreases, and the emission band related to the singly ionized oxygen vacancies increases. SRIM simulation analysis indicates that the damage effect of ZnO/silicone white paint caused by proton exposure would be aggravated due to the organic silicone binder. The proton irradiation leads to ionization of Zn atoms, formation of free oxygen and oxygen vacancies, and degradation of the organic silicone binder. It is believed that the optical degradation of ZnO/silicone white paint, induced by <200 keV protons, can be attributed to the combined effect of these three processes.