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Condensed Matter Physics

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Spacecraft Charging

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Full-Text Articles in Physics

Space Environment Effects On The Electron Yields Of Ldef Thermal Control Coatings, Trace Taylor, Matthew Robertson, Heather Allen, Jr Dennison, Michael Guy, Emily Willis Feb 2023

Space Environment Effects On The Electron Yields Of Ldef Thermal Control Coatings, Trace Taylor, Matthew Robertson, Heather Allen, Jr Dennison, Michael Guy, Emily Willis

Journal Articles

Space-environment-induced degradation of white thermal control coatings from the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) was investigated. Much of the exterior of the LDEF was painted with a white thermal control coating, Aeroglaze A276; and most of the interior was coated with a black thermal control coating, Aeroglaze Z306. Outgassing from these coatings and other LDEF materials interacted with the white surface when exposed to sunlight after volatile materials condensed on the LDEF surfaces. Surface morphology was characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopies. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy were used to identify the chemical compounds and elements present …


Comparison Of Pulsed Electroacoustic Measurements And Af-Numit3 Modeling Of Polymers Irradiated With Monoenergetic Electrons, Zachary Gibson, J. R. Dennison, Brian Beecken, Ryan Hoffmann Feb 2023

Comparison Of Pulsed Electroacoustic Measurements And Af-Numit3 Modeling Of Polymers Irradiated With Monoenergetic Electrons, Zachary Gibson, J. R. Dennison, Brian Beecken, Ryan Hoffmann

Journal Articles

Successful spacecraft design and charging mitigation techniques require precise and accurate knowledge of charge deposition profiles. This paper compares models of charge deposition and transport using a venerable deep dielectric charging code, AF-NUMIT3, with direct measurements of charge profiles via pulsed electroacoustic (PEA) measurements. Eight different simulations were performed for comparison to PEA experiments of samples irradiated by 50 or 80 keV monoenergetic electrons in vacuum and at room temperature. Two materials, polyether-ether ketone (PEEK) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), were chosen for their very low conductivities so that minimal charge migration would occur between irradiation and PEA measurements. PEEK was found …