Triple Junction GAGET2-ID2 Solar Cell Degradation by Solar Proton Events

Abstract

In nearly all space environments, the solar cell degradation is dominated by protons[1]. Even through a GEO orbit lines in the electron radiation belts, the protons emitted from any solar event will still dominate the degradation[1]. Since COMS launch on June 26 2010, the proton events with the fluence of more than approximately 30 times the average level of perennial observations were observed between January 23 -29 2012 and March 07 -14 2012[16]. This paper studies the solar cell degradation by solar proton events in January and March 2012 for the open circuit voltage(Voc) of a witness cell and the short circuit current(Isc) of a section connected to a shunt switch. To evaluate the performance of solar cell, the flight data of voltage and current are corrected to the temperature, the Earth-Sun distance and the Sun angle and then compare with the solar cell characteristics at BOL. The Voc voltage dropped about 23.6mV compare after the March 2012 proton events to before the January 2012 proton events. The Voc voltage dropped less than 1% at BOL, which is 2575mV. The Isc current decreased negligible, as expected, in the March 2012 proton events.