Predicting High-Voltage Charging of Spacecraft in Low Polar Orbit.

Abstract

The work presented in this report is in two parts. In the first, we develop a simple approximate prediction of the required conditions for high-voltage polar-orbit charging. The results suggest that for any given spacecraft, surface potentials are likely to depend more strongly on the ratio of ambient flux of high-energy electrons to that of all ions, than on any other environmental parameter. In the second part of this report, we present results of a numerical calculation of secondary-electron escape currents from negatively-charged spacecraft surfaces having various orientations relative to the local magnetic-field direction. Keywords include: Spacecraft charging, Auroral Ionosphere, Computer code, Low polar orbit, and Electron escape.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 30, 1985
Accession Number
ADA166614

Entities

People

  • J. G. Laframboise

Organizations

  • University of York

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Charged Particles
  • Computer Programs
  • Computers
  • Earth Orbits
  • Electrons
  • Geometry
  • High Energy
  • High Voltage
  • Ions
  • Orbits
  • Orientation (Direction)
  • Polar Orbits
  • Spacecraft
  • Spacecraft Charging
  • Trajectories
  • Voltage

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Plasma Physics.
  • Space Exploration and Orbital Mechanics.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics
  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster