You are here
STUDY OF ARCING ON SPACE STRUCTURES IN LOW EARTH ORBIT (PC-058)
Phone: () -
ARCING OF PARTIALLY INSULATED SPACE COMPONENTS HAS BEEN OBSERVED WHEN THESE COMPONENTS ARE BIASED NEGATIVELY WITH RESPECT TO THE SPACE PLASMA. ARCING IS DETRIMENTAL TO SYSTEM PERFORMANCE AND MAY CAUSE MATERIAL DETERIORATION AND EVENTUAL FAILURE OF THE COMPONENT. WE PROPOSE TO IDENTIFY THE KEY DESIGN PARAMETERS THAT DETERMINE ONSET OF ARCING ANDTO INCORPORATE THEM INTO AN ARCING MODEL. EXERCISE OF THIS MODEL WILL ESTABLISH LIMITATIONS OF SYSTEM PERFORMANCE DUE TO ARCING. PHYSICAL EFFECTS THAT WILL BE CONSIDERED IN PARTICULAR ARE: FIELD EMISSION, SPUTTERING, OUTGASSING OF SURFACES, ELECTRON IMPACT IONIZATION AND NEGATIVE ION FORMATION. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THE RESULTS OF THE MODEL COULD BE TESTED IN A SUBSEQUENT EXPERIMENTAL PHASE II OF THE WORK AND KEY PARAMETERS ESTABLISHED.
* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *