Methods for Measuring Spacecraft Floating Potential Using a Contaminated Sweeping Langmuir Probe and Floating Potential Probe System

Rachel Conway; Aroh Barjatya; Robert Clayton; Shantanab Debchoudhury; Nathan Graves; Henry Valentine

Methods for Measuring Spacecraft Floating Potential Using a Contaminated Sweeping Langmuir Probe and Floating Potential Probe System

Rachel Conway, Aroh Barjatya, Robert Clayton, Shantanab Debchoudhury, Nathan Graves, Henry Valentine

Physical Sciences

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster › peer-review

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.

Original language	American English
State	Published - Apr 2023
Event	Discovery Day 2023 - Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Duration: Apr 1 2023 → …

Conference

Conference	Discovery Day 2023
Period	4/1/23 → …

Cite this

@conference{b293804f08284e48b8a5a4ba79b4d20d,

title = "Methods for Measuring Spacecraft Floating Potential Using a Contaminated Sweeping Langmuir Probe and Floating Potential Probe System",

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{\textquoteright}s ionosphere. The resulting error in the SLP{\textquoteright}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.",

author = "Rachel Conway and Aroh Barjatya and Robert Clayton and Shantanab Debchoudhury and Nathan Graves and Henry Valentine",

year = "2023",

month = apr,

language = "American English",

note = "Discovery Day 2023 ; Conference date: 01-04-2023",

}

TY - CONF

T1 - Methods for Measuring Spacecraft Floating Potential Using a Contaminated Sweeping Langmuir Probe and Floating Potential Probe System

AU - Conway, Rachel

AU - Barjatya, Aroh

AU - Clayton, Robert

AU - Debchoudhury, Shantanab

AU - Graves, Nathan

AU - Valentine, Henry

PY - 2023/4

Y1 - 2023/4

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

UR - https://commons.erau.edu/discovery-day/db-discovery-day-2023/poster-session-2/7

M3 - Poster

T2 - Discovery Day 2023

Y2 - 1 April 2023

ER -

Methods for Measuring Spacecraft Floating Potential Using a Contaminated Sweeping Langmuir Probe and Floating Potential Probe System

Abstract

Conference

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