Beam arc distributions of shuttle pickup ions and their instabilities

Details Beam arc distributions of shuttle pickup ions and their instabilities Beam arc distributions of shuttle pickup ions and their instabilities

Sep 1996

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1996jgr...10119629h&link_type=abstract

Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 101, Issue A9, p. 19629-19648

Physics

Plasma Physics

5

Ionosphere: Active Experiments, Ionosphere: Ionization Mechanisms, Space Plasma Physics: Charged Particle Motion And Acceleration, Space Plasma Physics: Spacecraft Sheaths, Wakes, Charging

Scientific paper

Data from the Shuttle Potential and Return Electron Experiment (SPREE) flown as part of the Tethered Satellite System (TSS 1) are used to determine the detailed characteristics of beam arc distributions of pickup ions due to molecules outgassed or ejected from the shuttle. These ion distributions are only detected near the plane perpendicular to the magnetic field direction in an angular range of +/-45° about the minimum angle to ram. Their flux is largest when the angle between this plane and the shuttle ram direction is smallest. Generally, ion spectra peak in the range 19 to 25 eV at the minimum angle between the perpendicular plane and the ram direction. The peak energy decreases smoothly as this angle increases. Weak fluxes are measured above the peak, to energies as high as 150 eV. Within the SPREE energy range, two-dimensional distribution functions of beam arc ions in the perpendicular plane have teardrop shapes, symmetric about the minimum angle to shuttle ram with deep minima in the centers. Variations in the peak energies of differential number fluxes agree with collisionless trajectory analysis, assuming that the ions are H2O+ and allowing for different initial velocities before charge exchange. The lowest densities for beam arc ions occur during periods of purely residual outgassing from the shuttle. Ion densities increase by a factor of 5 during waste water dumps. The highest densities occur during operation of the flash evaporator system when the pickup ion densities in daylight can exceed 105 ions cm-3, about 30% of the estimated ambient plasma density. We also present a nonlinear numerical analysis to study the stability of beam arc generated plasma waves and explain electrostatic spectra measured during previous shuttle flights.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Beam arc distributions of shuttle pickup ions and their instabilities does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Beam arc distributions of shuttle pickup ions and their instabilities, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Beam arc distributions of shuttle pickup ions and their instabilities will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-994128