Degradation of Space Exposed Surfaces by Hypervelocity Dust Dombardment - Example: Solar Cell Samples

The analysis of cosmic particles by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) has developed into an essential tool of cosmophysics and –chemistry as well as of applied space-research. This way it is feasible to gain important information about the origin, the evolution and the structure of our solar system (Brownlee, 1978; Grun et al., 2001). In addition, the discrimination between terrestrial and cosmic particles is critical for an estimate of damage of space exposed surfaces by the impact of such particles. This is especially important for the multitude of satellites in near-earth space, i.e. in low earth orbits, fig.1.