Structure of the bipolar plasma sheath generated by SPEAR I

Journal Article · Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1989 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA094iA02p01450· OSTI ID:5839427

Katz, I; Jongeward, G A; Davis, V A; Mandell, M J; Kuharski, R A; Lilley, Jr, J R ^[1]; Raitt, W J ^[2]; Cooke, D L ^[3]; Torbert, R B; Larson, G; Rau, D ^[4]

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1. S-Cubed Division of Maxwell Labs., La Jolla, CA (USA)
2. Utah State Univ., Logan (USA)
3. Air Force Geophysics Lab., Hanscom Air Force Base, MA (USA)
4. Univ. of Alabama, Huntsville (USA)

The Space Power Experiment Aboard Rockets I (SPEAR I) biased two 10-cm radius spheres as high as 46,000 V positive with respect to an aluminum rocket body. The experiment measured the steady state current to the spheres and the floating potential of the rocket body. Three-dimensional calculations performed using NASCAP/LEO and POLAR 2.0 show that both ion-collecting and electron-collecting sheaths were formed. The rocket body potential with respect to the ionospheric plasma adjusted to achieve a balance between the electron current collected by the spheres and the secondary electron-enhanced ion current to the rocket body. This current balance was obtained with a large ion-collecting sheath that enveloped most of the electron-collecting sheath and reduced the area for collection of ionospheric electrons. The calculated current is in agreement with the flight measurement of a steady state current of less than 1/10 A. The calculations show that the rocket body was driven thousands of volts negative with respect to the ionospheric plasma. The calculated rocket potential is within the uncertainty of that inferred from ion spectrometer data. The current flowed through the space plasma. There was almost no direct charge transport between the spheres and the rocket body.

• OSTI ID: 5839427
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA), Vol. 94:A2, Issue A2; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ROCKETS
PLASMA SHEATH
CHARGE COLLECTION
CHARGE TRANSPORT
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRONS
IONOSPHERE
MORPHOLOGY
PLASMA
POTENTIALS
CURRENTS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
LEPTONS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
640201* - Atmospheric Physics- Auroral
Ionospheric
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