ELECTROSTATIC SCREENING OF BODIES IN SPACE
Abstract
Bodies in space subject to the solar ultraviolet flux will emit photoelectrons. A certain number of these escape and are balanced by the accretion of thermal electrons from the surrounding plasma. For a positively charged body, a much larger number of photoelectrons is released from the surface but do not escape because their energy is insufficient to do so. Their effect is to produce an inner screening of the body's electric charge. This screening is calculated for spherical bodies as a function of size. For large bodies the space charge density of photoelectrons becomes quite large; in the case of the Moon it reaches a value of the order of 1000 to 10,000 electrons per cc just above the lunar surface. For small dust particles, however, the photoelectric cloud becomes negligible. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1961
- Accession Number
- AD0263806
Entities
People
- E.h. Walker
- S.f. Singer
Organizations
- University of Maryland