The compound parabolic/elliptic lightshades:near-optimal shading for cold radiators

摘要

This paper presents the Compound Parabolic Lightshade geometry as a candidate for shading of cold passive radiators in space.Use of solid-state detectors is increasing for space-based scientific observation of the earth and in astronomy.Many detectors require cooling to reduce background noise and damage from the radiation environment in space,with target temperatures anywhere from 270degK down to 100 degK or lower.A pssive radiator system is a desirable choice for detector cooling,but parasitic thermal loads from the earth,sun and nearby surfaces are a design challenge,especially at lower detector system temperatures.Conical or trapezoidal geometries are often used for shades against direct solar and earth thermal radiation.