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The Importance Of Accurate Computation Of Secondary Electron Emission For Modeling Spacecraft Charging, S. Clerc, John R. Dennison, C. D. Thomson

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Secondary electron emission is a critical contributor to the current balance in spacecraft charging. Spacecraft charging codes use a parameterized expression for the secondary electron yield δ(Eo) as a function of incident electron energy Eo. Simple three-step physics models of the electron penetration, transport and emission from a solid are typically expressed in terms of the incident electron penetration depth at normal incidence or range R(E_o ), and the mean free path of the secondary electron, λ(E). We recall classical models for the range R(E_o): a power law expression of the form b₁E_o^{n1 …}