Detection of Surface Glow Related to Spacecraft Glow Phenomenon

摘要

We have developed a high flux source of low energy neutral beams to study the spacecraft glow phenomena by using a biased limiter to neutralize plasma in ACT-1. Beams of nitrogen and nitrogen-oxygen mixtures with energies of 1 to 15 eV and fluxes greater than or equal to 10 exp 14 /cm exp 2 /s were directed on target surfaces consisting of Z-302 and Z-306 paints. With the nitrogen beams we successfully detected a glow due to beam-surface interactions. In addition, we discovered a volume glow effect due to beam-gas interactions which may also play a role in spacecraft glow. 11 refs., 14 figs. (ERA citation 11:021762)