Spacecraft Charging in Sunlight: Theory and Observations

Details Spacecraft Charging in Sunlight: Theory and Observations Spacecraft Charging in Sunlight: Theory and Observations

Dec 2002

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2002agufmsm51b0521t&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2002, abstract #SM51B-0521

Physics

Plasma Physics

2764 Plasma Sheet, 7800 Space Plasma Physics, 7853 Spacecraft/Atmosphere Interactions, 7855 Spacecraft Sheaths, Wakes, Charging

Scientific paper

Photoemission flux from surfaces as measured in the laboratory is about an order of magnitude larger than the average ambient electron flux at the geosynchronous environment. Yet, spacecraft charging to negative voltages often occurs. Previously, Besse and Rubin [1980] suggested a monopole-dipole model to explain the blocking of photoemission on the sunlit side. No systematic validation of the model has been reported because of the scarcity of coordinated data of spacecraft charging and space environment. By using the Besse-Rubin model, we calculate the ratio of charging voltages in sunlight and in eclipse. We examine the spacecraft potentials of the Los Alamos National Laboratory geosynchronous satellite (LANL-1989-046, LANL-1990-095, LANL-1991-084, LANL-97A) in sunlight and in eclipse at various ambient electron temperatures. We provide physical interpretation to the observed critical temperature for the onset of spacecraft charging in sunlight and in eclipse. Besse, A.L. and A.G. Rubin, A simple analysis of spacecraft charging involving blocked photoelectron currents, J. Geophys. Res., 85, A5, 2324-2328, 1980.

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