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Detailed Reference Information
Burke et al. 1998
Burke, W.J., Bonifazi, C., Hardy, D.A., Machuzak, J.S., Gentile, L.C., Olson, D.G., Huang, C.Y., Gilchrist, B.E., Lebreton, J.-P. and Gurgiolo, C.A. (1998). Shuttle charging by tether controlled electron beam. Geophysical Research Letters 25: doi: 10.1029/97GL03191. issn: 0094-8276.

During the reflight of the tethered satellite system, the electron generator assembly (EGA) emitted steady electron beams six times with the satellite deployed between 6.2 and 16.1 km. Maximum beam energies and currents were 1.65 keV and 0.4 A, respectively. Data presented here show that: (1) emissions create local electron clouds that can charge the shuttle, (2) ionization of thruster gas by beam electrons in the sheath did not reduce the shuttle potential, (3) the EGA utilizes more than half the induced potential, and (4) ionospheric density gradients and magnetic field orientations affect the circuit's potential distribution. ¿ 1998 American Geophysical Union

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Ionosphere, Active experiments, Space Plasma Physics, Wave/particle interactions, Space Plasma Physics, Active perturbation experiments, Space Plasma Physics, Spacecraft sheaths, wakes, charging
Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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