Plasma turbulence enhanced current collection: Results from the plasma motor generator electrodynamic tether flight

Journal Article · Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1995 · Journal of Geophysical Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/94JA03142· OSTI ID:70526

Katz, I; Lilley, Jr, J R; Greb, A ^[1]; McCoy, J E ^[2]; Galofaro, J; Ferguson, D C ^[3]

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1. Maxwell Labs., Inc., La Jolla, CA (United States)
2. NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX (United States)
3. NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, OH (United States)

The plasma motor generator (PMG) experiment, launched June 26, 1993, was a tethered system of two identical plasma contactors connected via a 500-m conducting tether. The experiment was designed to demonstrate the ability of plasma contactors to provide a low-impedance connection between a spacecraft and the ionosphere for both the electron emission and collection. The flight data indicate that plasma contactors enhanced electron collection and emission by both neutralizing the electron space charge and scattering electrons across the geomagnetic field lines. Up to a 0.3 A steady current flowed along the tether in a circuit completed through the ionosphere. An analytical model for plasma contactor interaction with a background plasma which incorporates electron scattering by plasma waves is compared with the flight data. Good agreement between the model and the data is achieved for an effective frequency equal to one twentieth of the local plasma contactor plasma frequency. 7 refs., 6 figs.

• OSTI ID: 70526
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 100, Issue A2; Other Information: PBD: 1 Feb 1995
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS
SPACE FLIGHT
ELECTRIC CONTACTS
TESTING
PLASMA GUNS
MOTORS
ELECTRIC GENERATORS