Methods for Measuring Spacecraft Floating Potential Using a Contaminated Sweeping Langmuir Probe and Floating Potential Probe System
Is this project an undergraduate, graduate, or faculty project?
Graduate
Project Type
individual
Campus
Daytona Beach
Authors' Class Standing
Rachel Conway, Graduate Student
Lead Presenter's Name
Rachel Conway
Lead Presenter's College
DB College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty Mentor Name
Aroh Barjatya
Abstract
Spacecraft in the near-Earth environment experience electrostatic charging
from thermal plasma, surface contamination, photoelectron emission,
and additional charge sources onboard. Unknown or incorrect values of space-
craft floating potential can lead to erroneous scientific measurements. Sweeping
Langmuir Probes (SLP) can provide spacecraft charging values but frequently
experience surface contamination from dust, oils, water, and/or surface oxidation. This contamination presents itself through distortion of the collected
Current Voltage (IV) curve and can lead to incorrect potential measurements.
This relationship is investigated through simulation, using Simulation Program
with Integrated Circuit Emphasis (SPICE) to simulate a contaminated SLP in
Earth’s ionosphere. The resulting error in the SLP’s potential measurement is
discussed and new methods for deriving the spacecraft floating potential are
presented. The results are then verified using in-situ sounding rocket data.
Did this research project receive funding support (Spark, SURF, Research Abroad, Student Internal Grants, Collaborative, Climbing, or Ignite Grants) from the Office of Undergraduate Research?
No
Methods for Measuring Spacecraft Floating Potential Using a Contaminated Sweeping Langmuir Probe and Floating Potential Probe System
Spacecraft in the near-Earth environment experience electrostatic charging
from thermal plasma, surface contamination, photoelectron emission,
and additional charge sources onboard. Unknown or incorrect values of space-
craft floating potential can lead to erroneous scientific measurements. Sweeping
Langmuir Probes (SLP) can provide spacecraft charging values but frequently
experience surface contamination from dust, oils, water, and/or surface oxidation. This contamination presents itself through distortion of the collected
Current Voltage (IV) curve and can lead to incorrect potential measurements.
This relationship is investigated through simulation, using Simulation Program
with Integrated Circuit Emphasis (SPICE) to simulate a contaminated SLP in
Earth’s ionosphere. The resulting error in the SLP’s potential measurement is
discussed and new methods for deriving the spacecraft floating potential are
presented. The results are then verified using in-situ sounding rocket data.