NASA's New 'Blacker Than Black' Material Could Revolutionize Space Astronomy (ContributorNetwork)
NASA engineers at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland have created a material that absorbs close to 99 percent of light across the spectrum from ultraviolet all the way to far infrared. This material will have a variety of space applications.
What is the light absorbent material?
It consists of tiny carbon nanotubes implanted on the surface of material such as silicon, silicon nitride, titanium, and stainless steel. The carbon nanotubes are 10,000 times thinner than a human hair and stand at a 90 degree angle on the material they coat, sort of like strands on a shag carpet.
How does the light absorbing process work?
When light hits the coated material, it is trapped between the tiny walls of the carbon nanotubes, thus being trapped and thus reflected back. A material thus coated will absorb 99.5 percent of light in the ultraviolet and visible ranges and 98 percent of light in the infrared and far infrared range. The material thus coated has 50 times more absorbing qualities than any other material. Such material thus coated would appear extremely black to the naked eye.
Why is this important to NASA?
One of the problems in space-based astronomy, such as conducted by the Hubble space telescope, is that reflective, ambient light tends to interfere with the light being captured onto the telescope's mirror. The less reflective light there is to contend with, the sharper the images can be acquired from distant, dim objects, such as planets circling other stars. The material would thus be a boon for future space astronomy, such as planned for the James Webb Space Telescope.
The material also has a cooling effect, as it radiates heat, which is also something of great importance in the hostile environment of space. Instruments can thus be kept cooler and thus more sensitive to distant, dim light sources.
The material is far more efficient than black paint or epoxy, now commonly used for coating spacecraft to suppress reflective light. The material is also very light weight, which is always a consideration for space craft that has to be launched from the Earth's surface.
What are some Earth bound applications for the material?
Depending, of course, on how cheaply the material can be manufactured, the coating could be used for building materials in hot climates to radiate heat, making the buildings more energy efficient. The light absorbing properties might make military vehicles stealthier at night, though the heat reflective properties could also make them more detectable on thermo-imaging equipment.
Mark R. Whittington is the author of Children of Apollo and The Last Moonwalker. He has written on space subjects for a variety of periodicals, including The Houston Chronicle, The Washington Post, USA Today, the L.A. Times and The Weekly Standard.
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