Short-wavelength shield

A short-wavelength shield achieves protection of chemistry on the surface of the Earth or the initiation of chemistry in a prebiotic Earth or Titan. Essential it may be but there is an alternative - the photic zone. 

Short-wavelength shield The protection of the surface of a planet from dangerous short-wavelength radiation from the local star. On the Earth, the ozone layer shields the surface, as does the photic zone. 

Lead has numerous applications as metal, alloys and compounds. The major applications of the metal and its alloys such as solder are as materials of construction for pipe lines, plumbing fixtures, wires, ammunition, containers for corrosive acids and shield against short-wavelength radiation. Another major application is in storage batteries in which both the metal and its dioxide are used. Several lead compounds, such as lead chromate (chrome yellow), lead sulfate (white lead), lead tetroxide (red lead), and the basic carbonate are used in paints. 

Ozone is a major atmospheric pollutant in urban areas. In addition to its damaging effect on lung tissue and even on exposed skin surfaces, ozone attacks the rubber of tires, causing them to become brittle and crack. But in the stratosphere, where ozone absorbs much of the short-wavelength UV radiation from the sun, it provides a vital protective shield for life forms on earth. 

Ozone (O3), a major constituent of smog, is a health hazard at ground level. In the stratosphere, however, a layer of ozone shields the Earth from harmful solar radiation. The greatest concentration of ozone occurs between 12 and 15 miles above the Earth s surface. The ozone layer is thinnest at the equator and densest towards the poles. Ozone is formed in the atmosphere from the interaction of molecular oxygen with very short wavelength ultraviolet light. 

Gamma rays 7 very short wavelength electromagnetic radiation travels at the speed of light very penetrating requires thick lead plate and/or thick concrete shielding... 

Whatever the cause of the degradation there is obvious cause for concern for the whole future of MIS cells if their characteristics cannot be preserved over a useful working life > iO years for a finished cell. More work is necessary on this problem since it will obviously be fatal if the only way in which the cells can be made stable is to shield the cells with thicker metal barriers, so degrading their short wavelength response until it is worse than the corresponding more stable junction cell. 

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