Computer Models of the Spacecraft Wake.

Abstract

Calculations of the spacecraft interaction with the low earth orbit space plasma environment are presented, based on two computer codes, MACH and POLAR. MACH is an inside-out particle tracking code which treats spacecraft in a cylindrically symmetric grid, while POLAR is fully three dimensional. The methodology of MACH is more fundamental than that of POLAR, and MACH is used for validating the physics of POLAR in regimes where there are no comprehensive theoretical of experimental results. POLAR and MACH solutions for the wake of a charged disk in MACH 4, 5, and 8 flow are compared. Keywords: Computer simulation; Spacecraft interactions; Wake.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 24, 1986
Accession Number
ADA176881

Entities

People

  • Allan M. Rubin
  • D. L. Cooke
  • M. Tautz
  • Moritz Heinemann

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Altitude
  • Classification
  • Computations
  • Computers
  • Earth Orbits
  • Electrons
  • Environment
  • Errors
  • Ion Density
  • Iterations
  • Low Earth Orbits
  • Mach Number
  • Orbits
  • Particles
  • Security
  • Three Dimensional
  • Trajectories

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Aerodynamics/Aeronautics.
  • Aerospace Engineering.
  • Plasma Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster