Current limiting mechanisms in electron and ion beams experiments
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Authors
Olsen, Richard Christopher
Subjects
Advisors
Date of Issue
1989-08
Date
1989-08
Publisher
Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School
Language
en_US
Abstract
The emission and collection of current from satellites or rockets in the ionosphere is a process which, at equilibrium, requires a balance between inward and outward currents. In most active experiments in the ionosphere and magnetosphere, the emitted current exceeds the integrated thermal current by one or more orders of magnitude. The system response is typically for the emitted current to be limited by processes such as differential charging of insulating surfaces, interactions between an emitted beam and the local plasma, and interactions between the beam and local neutral gas. These current limiting mechanisms have been illustrated for 20 years in sounding rocket and satellite experiments, which are reviewed here. Detailed presentations of the SCATHA electron and ion gun experiments are used to demonstrate the general range of observed phenomena. Keywords: Spacecraft charging; Electron beams; Ion beams; Active charge control
Type
Technical Report
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Physics
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
NPS-61-89-013
Sponsors
Funder
Format
64 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.