Dual Maxwellian Space Plasma Modeling by the Logarithmic Method.
Abstract
A common and useful practice in the study of spacecraft charging phenomena is the use of dual Maxwellian models of the particle distributions. These models frequently employ a least error fit to the logarithm of the measured distribution function over an energy range that may exceed three decades. By example, we demonstrate that the resulting models are not satisfactory for the calculation of spacecraft charging. The models do not have a sufficient number of adjustable parameters to fit the measured spectra over such a wide energy range. More satisfactory models are obtained by weighting the spectral data according to their relevance to the spacecraft charging phenomena under investigation. In addition, reasonable limits must be placed on the temperatures of the models to prevent the artifacts that have been experienced in a minority of cases. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 05, 1983
- Accession Number
- ADA137131
Entities
People
- A. G. Rubin
- A. L. Besse
- M. F. Tautz
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory