Monte Carlo Simulation of Ion Collection by a Rocket-Borne Mass Spectrometer for Collisionless and Transitional Flowfields.
Abstract
Monte Carlo calculations of ion collection by a rocket-borne mass spectrometer have been completed for the collisionless case for the following range of parameters: Debye number 0.01 to 1000, speed ratio 0.1 to 3.1 and nondimensional potential -10 to -200. Calculations made in the transition regime show that minimum altitude at which the free molecule flow assumption is valid is approximately 120 km. A calculation at 70 km corresponding to a Knudsen number 0.007 indicates that the flowfield can be characterized as near-continuum but one in which the rarefaction effects are still important. The study demonstrates that the Monte Carlo technique is an efficient method to determine ion collection over the complete range of the flight parameters: Knudsen number, Debye number, plate potential, and speed ratio. (Modified author abstract)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1973
- Accession Number
- AD0767419
Entities
People
- Frank W. Vogenitz
- Takashi Sugimura
Organizations
- TRW Inc.