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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Measurement Of Charge Storage Decay Time And Resistivity Of Spacecraft Insulators, Prasanna V. Swaminathan
Measurement Of Charge Storage Decay Time And Resistivity Of Spacecraft Insulators, Prasanna V. Swaminathan
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023
Insulators used in the construction of spacecraft are irradiated with high-energy electrons in the space environment and this sometimes causes the insulators to charge to very high voltages. Such charged insulators can generate spontaneous electric partial-discharge pulses of the order of mA to tens of A. These pulses sometimes last enough time to destroy the expensive micro-circuitry present in the spacecraft. In evaluating the threat to the spacecraft due to these discharges, calculation of the resistivity becomes a critical parameter since it determines how accumulated charge will distribute across the spacecraft and how rapidly charge imbalance will dissipate. So far, …
Spacecraft Charging Research, Eric Crapo
Spacecraft Charging Research, Eric Crapo
Senior Theses and Projects
No abstract provided.
Comparison Of Classical And Charge Storage Methods For Determining Conductivity Of Thin Film Insulators, Prasanna Swaminathan, A. R. Frederickson, John R. Dennison, Alec Sim, J. Brunson, Eric Crapo
Comparison Of Classical And Charge Storage Methods For Determining Conductivity Of Thin Film Insulators, Prasanna Swaminathan, A. R. Frederickson, John R. Dennison, Alec Sim, J. Brunson, Eric Crapo
All Physics Faculty Publications
Conductivity of insulating materials is a key parameter to determine how accumulated charge will distribute across the spacecraft and how rapidly charge imbalance will dissipate. Classical ASTM and IEC methods to measure thin film insulator conductivity apply a constant voltage to two electrodes around the sample and measure the resulting current for tens of minutes. However, conductivity is more appropriately measured for spacecraft charging applications as the "decay" of charge deposited on the surface of an insulator. Charge decay methods expose one side of the insulator in vacuum to sequences of charged particles, light, and plasma, with a metal electrode …