Particle Trajectories in a Model Electric Field II,
Abstract
The report examines the feasibility of neutralizing the potential difference that occurs on a spacecraft by emitting ions from the positively charged surface region of the spacecraft and lefting this current impact on the negatively charged surface region. The investigation was performed by making two different simplfying assumptions about the geometry of the problem. In the first case we approximated the geometry by two conducting infinite half planes. In the second case we approximated the geometry by two finite width constant charge density plates. In both cases we investigated the dependence of the particle trajectories on the origination, velocity, and direction of emission of the particles. Two generalizations emerge from the study: (1) Shallow launch angles give more favorable trajectories. (2) For a given launch angle there is an optimum energy which yields a minimum impact distance. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 15, 1981
- Accession Number
- ADA116950
Entities
People
- Gabor Kalman
- Paul Carini
- Yaakov Shima
Organizations
- Boston College