Active spacecraft potential control for Cluster - implementation and first results
Klaus Torkar,W. Riedler,C. P. Escoubet,M. Fehringer,R. Schmidt,Réjean Grard,H. Arends,F. Rüdenauer,W. Steiger,B. T. Narheim,K. R. Svenes,Roy B. Torbert,Mats André,Andrew Fazakerley,Raymond Goldstein,Richard C. Olsen,Arne Pedersen,E. C. Whipple,Hua Zhao +18 more
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TLDR
In this article, the design and principles of the operation of the instrument for active spacecraft potential control (ASPOC) are presented in detail, and the instrument is oper- ated with constant ion current for most of the time, but tests have been carried out with varying currents and a feedback mode with the instrument EFW, which measures the space- craft potential.Abstract:
Electrostatic charging of a spacecraft modifies the distribution of electrons and ions before the particles enter the sensors mounted on the spacecraft body. The floating potential of magnetospheric satellites in sunlight very often reaches several tens of volts, making measurements of the cold (several eV) component of the ambient ions impossi- ble. The plasma electron data become contaminated by large fluxes of photoelectrons attracted back into the sensors. The Cluster spacecraft are equipped with emitters of the liquid metal ion source type, producing indium ions at 5 to 9 keV energy at currents of some tens of microampere. This current shifts the equilibrium potential of the spacecraft to moderately positive values. The design and principles of the operation of the instrument for active spacecraft poten- tial control (ASPOC) are presented in detail. Experience with spacecraft potential control from the commissioning phase and the first two months of the op- erational phase are now available. The instrument is oper- ated with constant ion current for most of the time, but tests have been carried out with varying currents and a "feedback" mode with the instrument EFW, which measures the space- craft potential . That has been reduced to values according to expectations. In addition, the low energy electron measure- ments show substantially reduced fluxes of photoelectrons as expected. The flux decrease in photoelectrons returning to the spacecraft, however, occurs at the expense of an en-read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
Electron density estimations derived from spacecraft potential measurements on Cluster in tenuous plasma regions
Arne Pedersen,Bjørn Lybekk,Mats André,Anders Eriksson,Arnaud Masson,F. S. Mozer,Per-Arne Lindqvist,P. Décréau,Iannis Dandouras,Jean-André Sauvaud,Andrew Fazakerley,M. G. G. T. Taylor,G. Paschmann,K. R. Svenes,Klaus Torkar,E. C. Whipple +15 more
TL;DR: Pedersen et al. as mentioned in this paper derived the electron density as a function of spacecraft potential over the polar caps and in the lobes of the magnetosphere, regions where other experiments on Cluster have intrinsic limitations.
Journal ArticleDOI
Stellar Ablation of Planetary Atmospheres
Thomas E. Moore,J. L. Horwitz +1 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors review observations and theories of the heating and acceleration of auroral winds, including energy inputs from precipitating particles, electromagnetic energy flux at magnetohydrodynamic and plasma wave frequencies, and acceleration by parallel electric fields and by convection pickup processes also known as "centrifugal acceleration".
Journal ArticleDOI
Survey of cold ionospheric outflows in the magnetotail
Erik Engwall,Erik Engwall,Anders Eriksson,Christopher Cully,Mats André,P. A. Puhl-Quinn,H. Vaith,Roy B. Torbert +7 more
TL;DR: In this article, an extensive statistical study of cold ion outflows in the geomagnetic tail at geocentric distances from 5 to 19 RE using the Cluster spacecraft during the period from 2001 to 2005 is presented.
Journal ArticleDOI
Linear Dynamics and Stability Analysis of a Two-Craft Coulomb Tether Formation
Arun Natarajan,Hanspeter Schaub +1 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the linearized dynamics and stability of a two-craft Coulomb tether formation is investigated. But the two craft are connected by an electrostatic tether that is capable of both tensile and compressive forces.
Journal ArticleDOI
Geosynchronous Large Debris Reorbiter: Challenges and Prospects
TL;DR: The Geosynchronous Large Debris Reorbiter (GLiDeR) as mentioned in this paper uses active charge emission to raise its own absolute potential to 10's of kilovolts and, in addition, directs a stream of charged particles at the debris to increase its absolute potential.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Disintegration of Water Drops in an Electric Field
TL;DR: In this article, it was shown that a conical interface between two fluids can exist in equilibrium in an electric field, but only when the cone has a semi-vertical angle 49.3$^\circ$.
Journal ArticleDOI
The Theory of Collectors in Gaseous Discharges
H. M. Mott-Smith,Irving Langmuir +1 more
TL;DR: In this article, a cylindrical or spherical electrode (collector) immersed in an ionized gas is brought to a suitable potential, it becomes surrounded by a symmetrical space charge region or "sheath" of positive or of negative ions (or electrons).
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Potentials of surfaces in space
TL;DR: In this article, a review of surface potentials on natural and artificial bodies in space is presented, with particular emphasis on recent developments, and the effects on charging of nonisotropic plasmas, wakes, and environmental magnetic and electric fields are considered.
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Peace: a plasma electron and current experiment
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TL;DR: In this paper, an electron analyser was used to measure the three-dimensional velocity distribution of electrons in the energy range from 0.59 eV to 26.4 keV on the four spacecraft of the Cluster mission.
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The theory of collectors in gaseous discharges
TL;DR: In this article, the effect of reflection of ions at the collector surface in modifying currents calculated by the preceding equations is discussed, and an equation relating the solution of problems having inverse geometry is deduced.
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