A Critical Ionization Velocity Experiment on the ARGOS Satellite

Abstract

We report on a xenon gas release experiment conducted on the Advanced Research and Global Observations (ARGOS) Satellite in the F-region ionosphere above the European Incoherent Scatter (EISCAT) radar at Tromso, Norway, Oct 20, 2000. In this experiment, xenon gas was released in the ram direction of the satellite. This was intended to induce ionization through the critical ionization velocity (CIV) process proposed by Alfven in his theory of the formation of the planets in the solar system. If the CIV process had been operational and efficient, ionization of the xenon cloud might have been observed. Radar observations by EISCAT showed no detectable enhancement of the ambient plasma in the velocity of the satellite. We present a simple model calculation which predicts that the overall yield of xenon ions in the release would be low, owing merely to the initially high density of the rapidly expanding xenon cloud.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2007
Accession Number
ADA460814

Entities

People

  • Assar Westman
  • Asta Pellinen-wannberg
  • D. L. Cooke
  • Gudmund Wannberg
  • Ingemar Häggström
  • K. M. Groves
  • Lawrence Wright
  • Shu T.F. Lai
  • William J. Mcneil

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Astronautics
  • Electrons
  • Energy
  • High Density
  • Ionization
  • Ionization Potentials
  • Ionosphere
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Military Research
  • Observation
  • Radar
  • Solar System
  • Spacecraft
  • Vehicles

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Plasma Physics.
  • Space/Atmospheric Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster