Climate change measuring device - Like moth eyes: Jena researchers shape diamonds for space
They are a family of butterflies, occasionally annoying in the closet or pantry - and are now the inspiration for a new type of space development from Jena: inspired by the structure of moth eyes, researchers have developed a diamond that is set to travel into space in 2027. The credit card-sized diamond is to be built into a measuring device of a satellite of the European Space Agency Esa, as the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering (IOF) announced on Wednesday.
A clinical thermometer turned satellite
The satellite mission, called "Forum", will be used to measure the radiation of heat from the Earth into space. The aim is to gain a better understanding of global warming. "Figuratively speaking, this means that "Forum" is a fever thermometer with extreme precision that has become a satellite," said Fraunhofer researcher Falk Eilenberger. A spectrometer is used to record the Earth's thermal radiation in the infrared range.
The researchers - physicists from Friedrich Schiller University were also involved - have now worked on the diamond for an important part of this measuring device. The challenge was that, in order to work properly, only one side of the diamond should shine, said Eilenberger. "So our job was to make the second surface anti-reflective."
Tiny pyramids anti-reflect moth's eyes
Conventional anti-reflective processes, such as those used for spectacle lenses, were unsuitable, however. The researchers were therefore inspired by the eyes of moths, which have a broadband anti-reflective coating. "They achieve this anti-reflective coating through microscopically small pyramids on the surface," explained Eilenberger. The researchers recreated this and developed a special process that etches these pyramids into the surface of the diamond.
With success, as the institute has now announced: The flight-ready end product was handed over for the mission in December after four years of development work.
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- The diamond, a crucial component of the satellite's radiation measurement device, hails from Thuringia, specifically from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering in Jena.
- The European Space Agency (ESA) will utilize this precision mechanics marvel in their upcoming mission named "Forum," aimed at understanding climate change and global warming.
- The diamond's surface was meticulously treated, following cues from moth eyes and their anti-reflective properties, to ensure it functioned optimally during space travel.
- The researchers, including physicists from Friedrich Schiller University, employed specialized techniques to create microscopic pyramids on the diamond's surface, emulating the moth's eye structures.
- The successfully developed anti-reflective diamond was a result of years of rigorous research and testing, culminating in its handover for the "Forum" mission in December.
Source: www.stern.de
