Energetic ion emission for active spacecraft control

Future space missions aiming at the accurate measurement of cold plasmas and DC to very low frequency electric fields will require that the potential of their conductive surfaces be actively controlled to be near the ambient plasma potential. In the near-Earth space these spacecraft are usually solar-cell powered; consequently, parts of their surface are most of the time exposed to solar photons. Outside the plasmasphere, a positive surface potential due the dominance of surface-emitted photoelectrons over ambient plasma electrons is to be expected. Photo- and ambient electrons largely determine the potential and positive values between a few Volts up to 100 V have been observed. Active ion emission is the obvious solution of this problem. A liquid metal ion emitter and a saddle field ion emitter are nearing the stage of flight unit fabrication. We will attempt to clamp the spacecraft potential to values close to the plasma potential. We present first results from vacuum chamber tests and describe the emission behaviour and characteristics of emitters producing, respectively, In⁺ and N₂⁺ beams with an energy of ≥ 5 keV.     

Negative body potential as result of modulated electron beam emission into ambient plasma

Two different processes play an important role during emission of pulsed electron beam from a satellite: the positive charging of the spacecraft by emitted electron current and the body neutralization by ambient plasma electrons (mainly in pauses between electron pulses).

The injection of modulated electron beam (pulses of 2μs duration, E=8keV, I=0.1A and 25μs repetition) was carried on in the APEX Project. A simple computer model of this process for APEX scenario was performed.

The results show that after primary positive charging (during gun operation) a significant negative charging (in pauses between pulses) caused by neutralization process by ambient plasma with fp>2MHz takes place.     

Active space debris charging for contactless electrostatic disposal maneuvers

The remote charging of a passive object using an electron beam enables touchless re-orbiting of large space debris from geosynchronous orbit (GEO) using electrostatic forces. The advantage of this method is that it can operate with a separation distance of multiple craft radii, thus reducing the risk of collision. The charging of the tug–debris system to high potentials is achieved by active charge transfer using a directed electron beam. Optimal potential distributions using isolated- and coupled-sphere models are discussed. A simple charging model takes into account the primary electron beam current, ultra-violet radiation induced photoelectron emission, collection of plasma particles, secondary electron emission and the recapture of emitted particles. The results show that through active charging in a GEO space environment high potentials can be both achieved and maintained with about a 75% transfer efficiency. Further, the maximum electrostatic tractor force is shown to be insensitive to beam current levels. This latter later result is important when considering debris with unknown properties.     

Particle-in-cell simulation of the plasma environment of a spacecraft in the solar wind

The main interactions between the plasma and the spacecraft are the wake effects, the emission of a dense photoelectron cloud and the electric charging of the surface of the spacecraft. An electrostatic particle-in-cell computer simulation model is presented, that allows the simultaneous calculation of these related effects. For different plasma properties, two-dimensional simulations yielded the steady state self-consistent potential distributions around the probe. These potentials, especially the potential barriers produced by the photoelectron cloud, have great influence on the measurements of the low energy solar wind electrons. The essential features can be verified by a comparison with selected electron distributions measured onboard the HELIOS spacecraft.     

Interactions of solar wind plasma with dust grains: Effects of strong plasma anisotropy

In this paper we re-examined the fundamental physics of charging of a dust particle in the moon environment by tenuous anisotropic solar wind plasma. The majority of work on dusty (complex) plasmas is largely concerns with laboratory plasmas, in which charging process of dust grains is very fast, thus making practical the working concept of dynamically equilibrium floating potential and grain charge. However, solar wind plasma parameters are considerably different at the moon orbit, and we found the characteristic charging time of lunar dust grains to be considerably longer, ranging from 3 to 4.6 min for micron size particles, and up to 7.6 h for 10-nm grains, depending on the value of plasma streaming velocity. These findings make it clear that the transient stage of charging process is important in the moon environment, and equilibrium floating potential and grain charge could be considered as long time asymptotic values. For this reason we re-formulated the moon dust charging process as an inherently time-dependent problem and derived the time-dependent charging equation for the grain potential for general case of anisotropic solar wind plasma. Using the results of our kinetics analysis we found that the distribution of charge density over grain surface submerged into solar wind plasma is highly anisotropic, thus making the OML model, which is based on the assumption of isotropic distribution of surface charge density, not applicable to the grain charging problem by the solar wind plasma.     

Field formation around negatively biased solar arrays in the LEO-plasma

Heavy emission caused by impacting plasma ions results in a fast discharging effect of the initially large surface potentials on the dielectric solar cells. This eventually counteracts the energization process of the plasma ions to the cover glasses and leaves no significant electric fields. Thus, with an existing thermal plasma, electrons are again able to reach dielectric surfaces. Strong localized electric fields of the order of several 10 kV/cm form near the interconnector-cover glass interface.     

空间尘埃的充电过程及与等离子体参数的关系

考虑了地球附近的彗星、行星环、行星际介质等空间尘埃等离子体环境中尘埃颗粒的充电问题．应用典型的空间尘埃等离子体参数，计算了不同种类的尘埃颗粒，以及不同等离子体成分下等离子体中尘粒的平衡电势，得到了尘埃颗粒的平衡电势与尘埃等离子体成分、温度，及其他等离子体参数之间的相互关系．     

Charging effects in the cometary environment of Halley

Electrostatic charging of the GIOTTO spacecraft in different impact induced charged particle environments was studied with 3D numerical particle-in-cell models. The simulation results are assessed according to first experimental results of GIOTTO and VEGA instruments. Decreasing and even negative spacecraft potentials measured on VEGA near closest approach to the comet suggest the influence of the cometary plasma, which is also confirmed by corresponding numerical simulations.     

Charge-product control approach to electrostatic leader-follower formations in LEO plasma wakes

The feasibility of using electrostatic forces to stabilize a close-proximity leader-follower formation is investigated. The leader craft is equipped with a set of affixed spheres whose charge is modulated to hold the charged follower craft along a proscribed trajectory to its nominal leader-relative position. This charge structure and the follower craft are constrained to remain in the plasma wake generated behind all LEO craft because the more-dense ambient plasma outside the wake prevents object charging and electric field propagation. Once the formation is achieved, a controlled electric field is generated by the leader to counter relative accelerations from perturbations like differential drag and solar radiation pressure, holding the follow near its nominal position. Two controllers are derived for the system described, incorporating Coulomb accelerations and linearized gravity and drag accelerations. Simulations are run under unmodeled perturbations and sensor noise for different scenarios, demonstrating the challenges and benefits associated with electrostatic actuation.     

Modeling the charging of geosynchronous and interplanetary spacecraft using Nascap-2k

Nascap-2k is the updated version of the NASCAP/GEO spacecraft charging analysis code. In addition to packaging the physical content of NASCAP/GEO in a modern way, Nascap-2k incorporates other plasma analysis codes (in particular, the DynaPAC code) in order to extend its applicability to a wide variety of plasma environments. Nascap-2k also includes an interactive Object Toolkit for defining spacecraft surface models for analysis. In this paper we focus on the tenuous plasma charging capabilities of the code, with application to DSCS-III (geosynchronous environment), STEREO (solar wind environment) and MESSENGER (solar wind environment near 0.4 AU).     

Impact induced plasma during a cometary fly-by

GIOTTO, the probe which is presently developed by the European Space Agency, will encounter comet Halley in March 1986 with a relative velocity of 69 km/s. The fore section of the surface will be submitted to the bombardment of dust grains and neutral molecules in the final phase of the mission, like that of an Earth orbiter during atmospheric re-entry. These particles have a kinetic energy of 24 eV per a.m.u.; they produce secondary ions and electrons which form a plasma cloud around the body and control the electric potential of its surface. This paper is a review of the work which has been performed on the subject by dedicated study groups; the purpose of their action was to gather information and produce new findings which might have an influence on the design of the spacecraft and help in the interpretation of the data collected by the scientific payload.

The effect of impact induced plasma may already be significant at 10⁵ km from the comet nucleus; at a distance of 1000 km the flux of ions and electrons produced by cometary dust and neutrals will possibly exceed that of the ambient plasma by more than three orders of magnitude. It is expected that the spacecraft surface potential will be positive and will reach at least a few tens of volts; coating the leading surface of the spacecraft with a thin layer of gold or silver will help reducing the emission of ions from neutral gas. Computer simulation models are used to predict the structure of the charged particle density distribution in the vicinity of the surface. Effects associated with the wake and differential charging are also discussed. The significance of these results is conditioned by the validity of the models and the largest source of uncertainty seems to be associated with the plasma generated by dust impact.     

材料次级电子发射特性对表面充电影响的数值计算研究

表面充电是最早被人们发现的空间环境效应, 是由空间环境引起的航天器异常和故障的主要诱因之一. 采用较精确的金属二次电子发射公式和局部电流平衡模型, 在无光照的情况下, 对不同表面材料及不同几何形体的航天器表面充电电位进行计算, 并绘制了表面材料的充电电位与最大二次电子发射系数之间的关系曲线. 根据数值计算结果及次级电子发射系数和曲线图得知, 航天器阴面充电电位与表面材料的原子序数、最大二次电子发射系数和入射离子引起的次级发射系数均有关. 该计算对航天器表面材料的选取和设计工艺有一定的参考价值.      

Plasma effects of active ion beam injections in the ionosphere at rocket altitudes

Data from ARCS rocket ion beam injection experiments will be primarily discussed in this paper. There are three results from this series of active experiments that are of particular interest in space plasma physics. These are the transverse acceleration of ambient ions in the large beam volume, the scattering of beam ions near the release payload, and the possible acceleration of electrons very close to the plasma generator which produce intense high frequency waves. The ability of 100 ma ion beam injections into the upper E and F regions of the ionosphere to produce these phenomena appear to be related solely to the process by which the plasma release payload and the ion beam are neutralized. Since the electrons in the plasma release do not convect with the plasma ions, the neutralization of both the payload and beam must be accomplished by large field-aligned currents (milliamperes/square meter) which are very unstable to wave growth of various modes. Future work will concentrate on the wave production and wave-particle interactions that produce the plasma/energetic particle effects discussed in this paper and which have direct application to natural phenomena in the upper ionosphere and magnetosphere.     

Effects of electrostatic forces on the vertical structure of planetary rings

We have calculated the vertical structure of planetary dust rings as it results from a balance between an electrostatic force on the dust grains and the vertical component of the gravitational force from the central planet. The electrostatic force results from the charging of the dust grains by the ambient plasma and a large scale electric field due to a shielding electric field and the resulting vertical dust distribution are strongly dependent on dust size, dust and plasma density, plasma temperature and plasma ion type. The dust density distribution has a different dependence on these parameters in tenuous and in dense dust rings. We solve the relevant equations numerically and also by linearization in the limiting cases of tenuous or dense rings. Our results indicate that the effects treated in this paper may be important in both Jupiter's and Saturn's rings.     

SRB,G86和铝阳极化表面充电性能评价研究

SRB、G86涂层和铝阳极化着(黑)色是卫星表面热控用的材料。在轨道上,它们将直接与空间等离子体环境相接触,因此它们表面积累电荷的性质对是否会由它们引发放电、起弧、击穿等物理效应是至关重要的。为此在综合模拟空间环境下对它们的充电性能进行评价是十分必要的。通过实验评价可以正确了解它们的表面积累电荷的情况及其变化规律,为在工作中恰当的使用或改进提供科学依据。     

Experimental investigation on silica dust lofting due to charging within micro-cavities and surface electric field in the vacuum chamber

The charged dust particles can be mobilized electrostatically by the repulsion between the adjacent grains and the surface electric field due to the incoming electron current and the charge accumulation within the micro-cavities. In this study, the experimental results of the initial vertical launching velocities and the maximum dust heights are compared with the estimated values for the lofted spherical dust grains by the patch surface charging equations. Silica particles with the sizes between <6 and 45?µm in radius are loaded on a graphite plate, and they are exposed to the electron beam with 450?eV energy under 4?×?10^?3?Pa vacuum chamber pressure. During the first set of the experiments, the dust samples are tested without an initial compression process and an additional horizontal electric field. Second, the dust samples are compressed by two different weights in order to increase the packing density under approximately 780.7?Pa and 3780?Pa. Finally, the dust grains are placed between the two parallel aluminum plates to apply approximately 2000?V/m and 4800?V/m horizontal electric field. A high-speed camera is used to record the transportation of the dust grains together with a microscopic telescope, and the results point out that the patch surface dust-charging model estimations are in agreement with the first experiments. On the other hand, the dust particles from the compressed samples are lofted with higher velocities than the estimations, and the number of the dust lofting observations decreases significantly, which demonstrates the importance of the micro-cavities and the increased charging requirement to overcome the contact forces. When the horizontal electric field is present, the initial vertical launching velocities are measured to be lower than the other experiments, which can be attributed to the decreased charging requirement for the dust lofting as a result of inter-particle collisions and rolling motion. According to the experimental results, the electrostatic dust transportation can be controlled not only by the ambient plasma and the solar irradiation on the airless planetary bodies, but also by the surface properties such as the contact surfaces between the dust grains, the number of the micro-cavities related to the packing density, and the presence of the horizontal electric field contributing to the external forces by other particle motions.     

几种材料的磁层亚暴环模试验

<正> 一、引言星际空间存在运动着的带电粒子。当太阳风粒子到达地球磁层顶且随着太阳风粒子而来的星际磁场,指向地磁南极时,太阳风中的感应电流产生的附加场使地磁场发生畸变。迎着太阳的一面较为扁平,而背着太阳的一面形成一个很长的磁尾。在磁尾区,太阳风粒子的注入(它们的能量为几十电子伏到几千电子伏)引起了高能粒子的大量增加。这些高能粒子在     

On the importance of fluff on the electric behaviour of cosmic grains

A model is created to describe the effects of “fluff” on the potential and electric field on and close to a charged spherical body embedded in a plasma. The consequences are investigated for dust grains biased at positive or negative potentials, but large enough for electron or ion field emission to be active, especially grains in magnetospheric plasmas. Electron emission reduces the floating potential, whereas ion emission destroys the fluff or even the grain itself. Effects of encounters are discussed. The model also characterizes the levitation of small solid particles from larger bodies.     

Entry of dust particles into planetary magnetospheres

While interplanetary dust constitutes a primary source of cosmic particulate matter in planetary magnetospheres, the debris produced by its impact with small satellites and ring material provides an important secondary source. Internal processes, such as volcanic activity, particularly in the smaller satellites, could result in a third source. In the case of the terrestrial magnetosphere there are also artificial (internal) sources: 1–10μ sized A?₂O₃ particles injected by solid rocket mortar burns between near earth and geosynchronous orbit constitute one such source, while the fragments of larger bodies (artificial satellites) due to explosions (e.g., “killer satellites”) and collisions constitute another. Finally, if we include the purely induced cometary magnetosphere among planetary magnetospheres, the injection of cometary dust into it due to entrainment by the outflowing gases constitutes another source.As a result of being immersed in a radiative and plasma environment these dust grains get electrically charged up to some potential (positive or negative). Particularly in those regions where the magnetospheric plasma is hot and dense and their own spatial density is low, the dust grains could get charged to numerically large negative potentials.While this charging may have physical consequences for the larger grains, such as electrostatic erosion (“chipping”) and disruption, it also can effect the dynamics of the smaller grains. Indeed, the small but finite capacitance of these grains, which leads to a phase lag in the gyrophase oscillation of the grain potential, could even lead to the permanent magneto-gravitational capture of interplanetary grains within planetary magnetospheres in certain situations. Here we will review the sources of dust in planetary magnetospheres and discuss their physics and their dynamics under the combined action of both planetary gravitational and magnetospheric electromagnetic forces.