This paper presents a large vacuum facility (6-ft-diameter, 10-ft-long chamber) equipped with a magnetic filter-type low Earth orbit plasma source. A recommended operating envelope for the plasma source was established through single-point measurements by varying the discharge currents of the plasma source and the gas flow rates. A three-axis translation stage was fabricated and tested with 2D and 3D scans of the simulated plasma environment. The measured plasma density during this study was between for the electrons and for the ions, whereas the electron and ion temperatures ranged from 0.55 to 2.06 eV and 1 to 3 eV, respectively. The simulated plasma environment compares well with orbital equivalents, specifically the F layers of the ionosphere.
Ground Vacuum Facility to Simulate Low Earth Orbit Plasma Environment
Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets ; 61 , 5 ; 1350-1361
01.09.2024
Aufsatz (Konferenz) , Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
Anomaly Attributed to Low Earth Orbit Plasma Environment
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2001
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