[extropy-chat] Nanoengineered terrestrial solar vs.nanoengineered space solar power

[spike]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org [mailto:extropy-chat-
> bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of Jay Dugger
...
> 
> Will photovoltaics degrade in-orbit...

Yes, but the old fashioned gallium arsenide cells are remarkably durable.


>... and by what mechanism? Radiation?

Yes.  Over time the output gradually decreases from impacts from high energy
particles.  Occasionally you get a cell shorted out from an extremely high
energy cosmic ray that causes an SEGR or single event gate rupture.  A
particle whacks a cell hard enough to cause an ionized path across the NP
region.


> Corrosion?...

Not exactly corrosion as we think of it down here, oxidation.  Metals can
migrate but I wouldn't call that corrosion.


> Impact?

If you meant micrometeoroid, there are so sparse they aren't a major factor.

spike