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Evolution Of The Electron Yield Curves Of Insulators As A Function Of Impinging Electron Fluence And Energy, John R. Dennison, Alec Sim, Clint Thomson

All Physics Faculty Publications

Electron emission and concomitant charge accumulation near the surface of insulators is central to understanding spacecraft charging. A study of changes in electron emission yields as a result of internal charge buildup due to electron dose is presented. Evolution of total, backscattered, and secondary yield results over a broad range of incident energies are presented for two representative insulators, Kapton and Al₂O₃. Reliable yield curves for uncharged insulators are measured, and quantifiable changes in yields are observed due to <100-fC/mm² fluences. Excellent agreement with a phenomenological argument based on insulator charging predicted by the yield curve …