Mr Tobias Vogl. Credit: Lannon Harley, ANU
A new study from The Australian National University (ANU) has found a number of 2D materials can not only withstand being sent into space, but potentially thrive in the harsh conditions. It could influence the type of materials used to build everything from satellite electronics to solar cells and batteries - making future space missions more accessible, and cheaper to launch. PhD candidate and lead author Tobias Vogl was particularly interested in whether the 2D materials could withstand intense radiation. "The space environment is obviously very different to what we have here on Earth. So we exposed a variety of 2D materials to radiation levels comparable to what we expect in space," Mr Vogl said. "We found most of these devices coped really well. We were looking at electrical and optical properties and basically didn't see much difference at all." During a satellite's orbit around the earth, it is subject to heating, cooling, and radiation. While there's been plenty of work done demonstrating the robustness of 2D materials when it comes to temperature fluctuations, the impact of radiation has largely been unknown - until now.
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