Study of solar wind ions implantation effects in optical coatings in view of Solar Orbiter space mission operation

Low energy ions coming from the quite solar wind are considered among the causes of potential damage of the optical instrumentation and components on board of ESA Solar Orbiter. Predictions of space radiation parameters are available for instruments on board of such mission. Accelerators are commonly used to reproduce the particle irradiation on a spacecraft during its lifetime at the ground level. By selecting energies and equivalent doses it is possible to replicate the damage induced on space components. Implantation of Helium ions has been carried out on different single layer thin films at LEI facility at Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf varying the total dose. Profile of the implanted samples has been experimentally recovered by SIMS measurements. The change in reflectance performances of such coatings has been experimentally evaluated and modelled. The outcomes have been used to verify the potential impact on the METIS instrument and to drive the optimization of the M0 mirror coating.