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Utah State University

Charging

All Physics Faculty Publications

2010

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Physics

Measurement Methods Of Electron Emission Over A Full Range Of Sample Charging, R. Hoffman, John R. Dennison Jan 2010

Measurement Methods Of Electron Emission Over A Full Range Of Sample Charging, R. Hoffman, John R. Dennison

All Physics Faculty Publications

The electron emission properties of a material subject to incident radiation flux are key parameters in determining to what equilibrium charge a spacecraft will established under given environmental conditions. However, there is a complex relation between these emission properties and the charge built up in spacecraft insulators. Complex modeling codes have been developed to predict the potential a spacecraft will adopt as a consequence of its interaction with the space plasma. These require correct models of the electron yields as a function of charge to accurately predict the both the charge build up and the equilibrium potential of spacecraft components. …


The Effects Of Surface Modification On Spacecraft Charging Parameters, Amberly Evans, John R. Dennison Jan 2010

The Effects Of Surface Modification On Spacecraft Charging Parameters, Amberly Evans, John R. Dennison

All Physics Faculty Publications

Charging of materials by incident radiation is affected by both environmental and physical conditions. Modifying a material’s physical surface will change its reflection, transmission and absorption of the incident radiation which are integrally related to the accumulation of charge and energy deposition in the material. An optical analysis of the effect of surface modification on spacecraft charging parameters on prototypical Kapton HN and Cu samples is presented. Samples were roughened with abrasive compounds ranging from 0.5 to 10 μm in size, comparable to the range of incident wavelengths. They were also contaminated with thin layers of DC 704 diffusion pump …