Ram ion scattering caused by space shuttle v times B induced differential charging

Journal Article · Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1987 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA092iA08p08787· OSTI ID:5674628

Katz, I; Davis, V A ^[1]

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1. S-Cubed Div. of Maxwell Labs., La Jolla, CA (United States)

Observations of secondary, high-inclination ions streams have been reported in the literature. The authors of these previous papers attributed the source of the secondary ions to a disturbed region in the plasma about 10 m form the space shuttle Orbiter. A new theory has been developed which shows how v {times} B induces differential charging on the plasma diagnostics package (PDP) can scatter the ram ion flux. Some of these ions are reflected back to the PDP and may be the source of the observed ion distributions. The effect is unique to large spacecraft; it occurs only when the magnitude of the induced v {times} B potentials are much larger than the electron thermal energy and of the order of the ion ram energy. That the ion streams observed at large angles must have been reflected from the PDP surface is demonstrated with three-dimensional sheath and particle trajectory calculations using the low earth orbit version of the NASA Charging Analyzer Program (NASCAP/LEO).

• OSTI ID: 5674628
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Vol. 92:A8; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
IONOSPHERE
SPACE SHUTTLES
CHARGE COLLECTION
GEOMETRY
IONS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
ORIGIN
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
PROBES
REFLECTION
SCATTERING
VELOCITY
AIRCRAFT
CHARGED PARTICLES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
MATHEMATICS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
SPACE VEHICLES
VEHICLES
661320* - Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magnetospheric Phenomena- (1992-)