Hypervelocity microparticle characterization

Conference · Fri Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:397131

Idzorek, G C

To protect spacecraft from orbital debris requires a basic understanding of the processes involved in hypervelocity impacts and characterization of detectors to measure the space environment. Both require a source of well characterized hypervelocity particles. Electrostatic acceleration of charged microspheres provides such a source. Techniques refined at the Los Alamos National Laboratory provided information on hypervelocity impacts of particles of known mass and velocity ranging from 20-1000 nm diameter and 1-100 km/s. A Van De Graaff generator operating at 6 million volts was used to accelerate individual carbonyl iron microspheres produced by a specially designed particle source. Standard electrostatic lenses and steering were used to control the particles flight path. Charge sensitive pickoff tubes measured the particle charge and velocity in- flight without disturbing the particle. This information coupled with the measured Van De Graaff terminal voltage allowed calculation of the particle energy, mass, momenta and (using an assumed density) the size. Particles with the desired parameters were then electrostatically directed to a target chamber. Targets used in our experiments included cratering and foil puncture targets, microphone momentum enhancement detectors, triboluminescent detectors, and ``splash`` charge detectors. In addition the system has been used to rapidly characterize size distributions of conductive plastic particles and potentially provide a method of easily sorting microscopic particles by size.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 397131
• Report Number(s): LA-UR--96-2327; CONF-960848--26; ON: DE96013980
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
44 INSTRUMENTATION
INCLUDING NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE DETECTORS
CARBONYLS
IMPACT TESTS
IRON
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
PARTICLE SIZE
PARTICLE SIZE CLASSIFIERS
PLASTICS
SPACE VEHICLES
SPHERES
TESTING
VAN DE GRAAFF ACCELERATORS
VELOCITY