A NONDESTRUCTIVE EXOEMISSION TECHNIQUE FOR MONITORING THE STRENGTH OFPOLYMER MATERIALS UNDER THE ACTION OF OUTER-SPACE FACTORS

Low-temperature emission of electrons, ions, and neutral species (exoe mission) is considered as accompanying the initial failure events of p olymeric materials under outer space conditions. Exoemission in high v acuum at temperatures of 77 - 293 K is found to be due to the actions of mechanical stress, cyclic temperature variation, and radiation. The physics and chemistry of initial failure events in the materials is d iscussed on the basis of a mechanism for exoemission suggested by the author. It was shown that exoemission is the most sensitive technique for monitoring the initial stages of degradation of polymeric material s under the action of outer space factors.