Physics Commons^™

Experimental Investigation Of Snapover: The Sudden Increase Of Plasma Current Drawn To A Positively Biased Conductor When Surrounded By A Dielectric, Clint D. Thomson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Snapover is particularly relevant to Earth-orbiting spacecraft powered by high-voltage solar arrays. During snapover, the current collected by a positively biased conductor that is immersed in a plasma suddenly increases when two conditions are met: i) there is an immediately adjacent insulator; ii) the conductor exceeds a positive threshold voltage with respect to the plasma. The enhanced current develops as a consequence of the insulator, either through secondary electron (SE) emission or by material ionization. Experiments were performed to examine snapover onset potential and current collection dependence on conductor and insulator materials, conductor size and shape, sample history, biasing rate, …