Measuring Spacecraft Potential with an Electron Spectrometer

Details Measuring Spacecraft Potential with an Electron Spectrometer Measuring Spacecraft Potential with an Electron Spectrometer

Nov 1998

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1998sct..conf..287g&link_type=abstract

Proceedings of the 6th Spacecraft Charging Conference. November 2-6, 1998. AFRL Science Center, Hanscom AFB, MA, USA., p.287-290

Physics

Scientific paper

A high energy-resolution electron spectrometer can be deployed on rockets or low Earth orbit satellites to measure absolute spacecraft floating potential with an accuracy of up to ±.05 volt. Peaks due to the photoionization of nitrogen and atomic oxygen appear in high resolution electron-energy spectra that have been collected by satellite. Each peak can be identified as due to a given photoionization reaction. The spacecraft floating potential is determined by measuring the apparent shift in the energy location of the photoelectron peaks in spectra gathered by a spacecraft. We have developed the technique by analyzing spectra from a high energy-resolution electron spectrometer that flew in 1976. Features in the spectra exhibit an altitude-dependent shift in energy location that is consistent with the altitude-dependent change in the spacecraft floating potential. Since the technique shows promise, we are developing an instrument to determine spacecraft floating potential through high energy-resolution electron spectroscopy. The instrument will be able to determine spacecraft potential with great accuracy at all locations in the sunlit atmosphere at altitudes between 150 and 250 km and at certain sunlit locations at higher altitudes. The accurate measure of spacecraft floating potential will be useful for gauging the efficacy of and controlling charge mitigation devices, improving the accuracy of plasma energy analyzers, and investigating the spacecraft charging phenomenon in low Earth orbit.

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