On silicon nanobubbles in space for scattering and interception of solar radiation to ease high-temperature induced climate change
A thin film of silicon-based nanobubbles was recently suggested that could block a fraction of the sun’s radiation to alleviate the present climate crisis. But detailed information is limited to the composition, architecture, fabrication, and optical properties of the film. We examine here the optic...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AIP Publishing LLC
2024-01-01
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| Series: | AIP Advances |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/5.0187880 |
| _version_ | 1797332008936931328 |
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| author | Munir Nayfeh Ammar Nayfeh Ayman Rezk Ersin Bahceci Waheeb Alnaser |
| author_facet | Munir Nayfeh Ammar Nayfeh Ayman Rezk Ersin Bahceci Waheeb Alnaser |
| author_sort | Munir Nayfeh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A thin film of silicon-based nanobubbles was recently suggested that could block a fraction of the sun’s radiation to alleviate the present climate crisis. But detailed information is limited to the composition, architecture, fabrication, and optical properties of the film. We examine here the optical response of Si nanobubbles in the range of 300–1000 nm to evaluate the feasibility using semi numerical solution of Maxwell’s equations, following the Mie and finite-difference time-domain procedures. We analyzed a variety of bubble sizes, thicknesses, and configurations. The calculations yield resonance scattering spectra, intensities, and field distributions. We also analyzed some many-body effects using doublets of bubbles. We show, due to high valence electron density, silicon exhibits strong polarization/plasmonic resonance scattering and absorption enhancements over the geometrical factor, which afford lighter but more efficient interception with a wide band neutral density filtering across the relevant solar light spectrum. We show that it is sufficient to use a sub monolayer raft with ∼0.75% coverage, consisting of thin (∼15 nm) but large silicon nanobubbles (∼550 nm diameter), to achieve 1.8% blockage of solar light with neutral density filtering, and ∼0.78 mg/m2 silicon, much less than the mass effective limit set earlier at 1.5 g/m2. We evaluated solid counterpart nanoparticles, which may be produced in blowing/inflation procedures of molten silicon, as well as aging by including silicon oxide capping. The studies confirm the feasibility of a space bubble filtering raft, with insignificant imbalance of the correlated color temperature (CCT) and color rendering index characteristics of sunlight. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T07:43:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-efb688d9fdb14a838ca3310476cd8b0d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2158-3226 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T07:43:28Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | AIP Publishing LLC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | AIP Advances |
| spelling | doaj.art-efb688d9fdb14a838ca3310476cd8b0d2024-02-02T16:46:06ZengAIP Publishing LLCAIP Advances2158-32262024-01-01141015160015160-1510.1063/5.0187880On silicon nanobubbles in space for scattering and interception of solar radiation to ease high-temperature induced climate changeMunir Nayfeh0Ammar Nayfeh1Ayman Rezk2Ersin Bahceci3Waheeb Alnaser4Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USAElectrical Engineering and Computer Science, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi 127788, United Arab EmiratesElectrical Engineering and Computer Science, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi 127788, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Iskenderun Technical University, 31200 İskenderun, Hatay, TürkiyeDepartment of Natural Resources and Environment, College of Graduate Studies, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Kingdom of BahrainA thin film of silicon-based nanobubbles was recently suggested that could block a fraction of the sun’s radiation to alleviate the present climate crisis. But detailed information is limited to the composition, architecture, fabrication, and optical properties of the film. We examine here the optical response of Si nanobubbles in the range of 300–1000 nm to evaluate the feasibility using semi numerical solution of Maxwell’s equations, following the Mie and finite-difference time-domain procedures. We analyzed a variety of bubble sizes, thicknesses, and configurations. The calculations yield resonance scattering spectra, intensities, and field distributions. We also analyzed some many-body effects using doublets of bubbles. We show, due to high valence electron density, silicon exhibits strong polarization/plasmonic resonance scattering and absorption enhancements over the geometrical factor, which afford lighter but more efficient interception with a wide band neutral density filtering across the relevant solar light spectrum. We show that it is sufficient to use a sub monolayer raft with ∼0.75% coverage, consisting of thin (∼15 nm) but large silicon nanobubbles (∼550 nm diameter), to achieve 1.8% blockage of solar light with neutral density filtering, and ∼0.78 mg/m2 silicon, much less than the mass effective limit set earlier at 1.5 g/m2. We evaluated solid counterpart nanoparticles, which may be produced in blowing/inflation procedures of molten silicon, as well as aging by including silicon oxide capping. The studies confirm the feasibility of a space bubble filtering raft, with insignificant imbalance of the correlated color temperature (CCT) and color rendering index characteristics of sunlight.http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/5.0187880 |
| spellingShingle | Munir Nayfeh Ammar Nayfeh Ayman Rezk Ersin Bahceci Waheeb Alnaser On silicon nanobubbles in space for scattering and interception of solar radiation to ease high-temperature induced climate change AIP Advances |
| title | On silicon nanobubbles in space for scattering and interception of solar radiation to ease high-temperature induced climate change |
| title_full | On silicon nanobubbles in space for scattering and interception of solar radiation to ease high-temperature induced climate change |
| title_fullStr | On silicon nanobubbles in space for scattering and interception of solar radiation to ease high-temperature induced climate change |
| title_full_unstemmed | On silicon nanobubbles in space for scattering and interception of solar radiation to ease high-temperature induced climate change |
| title_short | On silicon nanobubbles in space for scattering and interception of solar radiation to ease high-temperature induced climate change |
| title_sort | on silicon nanobubbles in space for scattering and interception of solar radiation to ease high temperature induced climate change |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/5.0187880 |
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