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.     

A detailed spin analysis of the San Marco 5 mission

The attitude of the San Marco 5 satellite flown in 1988 has been monitored by several sensors. Thus the history of the spin period is known with a high degree of accuracy. Because of the simple geometry (spherical body with several extremely long antennas) and the good mass balance (used for the accelerometer aboard) of the satellite it was possible to separate different effects of variations of the spin period. The influence of the drag on the spin period has been modeled. The results are used to derive total gas densities along the trajectory and compare them with model densities, in situ measurements from the drag balance instrument and densities derived by orbital drag methods.