Observations of plasma wave turbulence generated around large ionospheric spacecraft: Effects of motionally induced EMF and of electron beam emission

Journal Article · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 UTC 1991 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/90JA02248· OSTI ID:5256762

Neubert, T; Gilchrist, B E; Banks, P M ^[1]; Sasaki, S ^[2]; Fraser-Smith, A C ^[3]; Raitt, W J ^[4]

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1. Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor (USA)
2. Inst. for Space and Astronautical Sciences, Kanagawa (Japan)
3. Stanford Univ., CA (USA)
4. Utah State Univ., Logan (USA)

The authors report on observations of plasma wave turbulence generated during electron beam injections, spacecraft potential variations, and neutral gas emissions of the CHARGE 2 sounding rocket experiment. The payload was flown in a mother/daughter configuration, with the two sub-payloads electrically connected by an insulated, conducting tether. While tethered, the two platforms were separated, drifting apart in a direction perpendicular to both the magnetic field and to the spacecraft velocity, reaching a maximum distance of 426 m at the end of the flight. The mother carried a high-voltage (HV) system (0-460 V), biasing the mother negative relative to the daughter. The operation of the HV bias system simulated the motional emf induced in larger orbiting space structures like the Tethered Satellite System 1 (TSS 1) space shuttle mission scheduled for the spring of 1992. In addition, the mother carried an electron beam accelerator (1 keV, 0-46 mA). The daughter diagnostics included wave receivers (400 Hz to 10 MHz) connected to a pair of electric dipole antennas. Broadband ELF/VLF turbulence was generated both during electron beam emissions and when the HV bias system was operated, while turbulence in the HF range was observed only during electron beam emissions. As a result of the electrical connection through the tether, the ELF/VLF wave intensities show little variation with separation distance of the two payloads. Two sources of wave turbulence are proposed to account for the observations: (1) wave turbulence generated by the beam/spacecraft system in particular in the HF range, and (2) electron return currents to the daughter simulating VLF noise during HV operations and electron beam emissions.

• OSTI ID: 5256762
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 96:A6; ISSN 0148-0227; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BEAM INJECTION
BEAMS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS
ELECTRON BEAMS
INTERACTIONS
IONOSPHERE
LEPTON BEAMS
NOISE
PARTICLE BEAMS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
PLASMA WAVES
ROCKETS
SATELLITES
TURBULENCE