Electrical Breakdown of Anodized Structures in a Low Earth Orbital Environmental

A comprehensive set of investigations involving arcing on a negatively biased anodized aluminum plate immersed in a low density argon plasma at low pressures (P(sub O), 7.5 x 10(exp -5) Torr) have been performed. These arcing experiments were designed to simulate electrical breakdown of anodized coatings in a Low Earth Orbital (LEO) environment. When electrical breakdown of an anodized layer occurs, an arc strikes, and there is a sudden flux of electrons accelerated into the ambient plasma. This event is directly followed by ejection of a quasi-neutral plasma cloud consisting of ejected material blown out of the anodized layer. Statistical analysis of plasma cloud expansion velocities have yielded a mean propagation velocity, v = (19.4 +/- 3.5) km/s. As the plasma cloud expands into the ambient plasma, energy in the form of electrical noise is generated. The radiated electromagnetic noise is detected by means of an insulated antenna immersed in the ambient plasma. The purpose of the investigations is (1) to observe and record the electromagnetic radiation spectrum resulting from the arcing process. (2) Make estimates of the travel time of the quasi-neutral plasma cloud based on fluctuations to several Langmuir probes mounted in the ambient plasma. (3) To study induced arcing between two anodized aluminum structures in close proximity

The Conductor-Dielectric Junctions in a Low Density Plasma

A conductor-dielectric junction exposed to the space environment is a frequent spacecraft design feature. Due to spacecraft charging and/or solar array operation, the conductor can acquire a high potential with respect to the surrounding plasma. If this potential is positive the insulators adjacent to exposed conductors can collect current as if they were conductors themselves. This phenomenon, called snapover, results in a substantial increase in current collection, and may even result in a glow discharge if the potential is high enough. If a conductor has a negative potential, arcing can occur at the site of a junction. Both of these phenomena negatively affect spacecraft operation. To prevent negative consequences, the physical mechanisms of snapover and arc inception require investigation. In this paper, results are presented of an experimental and theoretical study of snapover, glow discharge, and arc phenomena for different materials immersed in argon or xenon plasmas. The effect of snapover is investigated for several metal-dielectric junctions: copper-teflon, copper-Kapton, copper-glass, aluminum-teflon, aluminum-Kapton, steelteflon, anodized aluminum with pinholes, and copper-ceramics. I-V curves are measured and snapover inception voltages, essential parameters (increase in current and collection area due to secondary electrons), and glow discharge inception thresholds are determined. Optical spectra are obtained for glow discharges in both argon and xenon plasmas. These spectra provide information regarding atomic species entrapped in the glow region. Some spectral lines can be used to estimate plasma parameters in the discharge area. A videocamera and linear array were used to confirm that snapover inception is accompanied by very low intensity visible light emission. This result seems to be important for the estimate of the light pollution around spacecraft. Optical spectra (wavelengths 380-650 nm) of arcs are also obtained on a negatively biased chromic acid anodized aluminum plate immersed in low density argon and xenon plasmas. Analysis of these spectra confirms our earlier findings that aluminum atoms are ejected from the arc site. Moreover, it is found that chromium atoms are also quite abundant in the arc plasma. It is believed that the latter results contribute considerably to the understanding of processes of plasma contamination caused by arcing

A Comprehensive Study of Dielectric-Conductor Junctions in Low Density Plasmas

In this paper, results are presented of an experimental and theoretical study of snapover, glow discharge, and arc phenomena for different materials immersed in argon or xenon plasmas. The effect of snapover is investigated for several metal-dielectric junctions: copper-teflon, copper-Kapton, copper-glass, aluminum-teflon, aluminum-Kapton, steel-teflon, anodized aluminum with pinholes, and copper-ceramics. I-V curves are measured, and snapover inception voltages, essential parameters (increase in current and collection area due to secondary electrons), and glow discharge inception thresholds are determined. Optical spectra are obtained for glow discharges in both argon and xenon plasmas. These spectra provide information regarding atomic species entrapped in the glow region. A video-camera and linear array were used to confirm that snapover inception is accompanied by very low intensity visible light emission. This result seems to be important for the estimate of the light pollution around spacecraft. Optical spectra (wavelengths 380-650 nm) of arcs are also obtained on a negatively biased chromic acid anodized aluminum plate immersed in low density argon and xenon plasmas. Analysis of these spectra confirms our earlier findings that aluminum atoms are ejected from the arc site. Moreover, it is found that chromium atoms are also quite abundant in the arc plasma. It is believed that the latter results contribute considerably to the understanding of processes of plasma contamination caused by arcin

Daytime Solar Heating of Photovoltaic Arrays in Low Density Plasmas

The purpose of the current work is to determine the out-gassing rate of H2O molecules for a solar array placed under daytime solar heating (full sunlight) conditions typically encountered in a Low Earth Orbital (LEO) environment. Arc rates are established for individual arrays held at 14 C and are used as a baseline for future comparisons. Radiated thermal solar flux incident to the array is simulated by mounting a stainless steel panel equipped with resistive heating elements several centimeters behind the array. A thermal plot of the heater plate temperature and the array temperature as a function of heating time is then obtained. A mass spectrometer is used to record the levels of partial pressure of water vapor in the test chamber after each of the 5 heating/cooling cycles. Each of the heating cycles was set to time duration of 40 minutes to simulate the daytime solar heat flux to the array over a single orbit. Finally the array is cooled back to ambient temperature after 5 complete cycles and the arc rates of the solar arrays is retested. A comparison of the various data is presented with rather some unexpected results

On-Orbit Daytime Solar Heating Effects: A Comparison of Ground Chamber Arcing Results

The purpose of the current experiment is to make direct comparisons between the arcing results obtained from the diffusion pumped vertical chamber and our newly renovated Teney vacuum chamber which is equipped with a cryogenic pump. Recall that the prior reported results obtained for the Vertical chamber were nominal at best, showing only a slight reduction in the arc rate after five heating cycles at the lower bias potentials and virtually no changes at high potential biases. It was concluded that the vertical chamber was unable to remove enough water vapor from the chamber to adequately test the arcing criterion. Because the cryo-pumped Teney chamber has a ten times better pumping speed, (40,000 liters per sec compared to 4,000 liters per sec for the diffusion pumped vertical chamber), a decision was made to retest that experiment in both the Teney and Vertical vacuum chambers. A comparison of the various data is presented with encouraging results

A Desorbed Gas Molecular Ionization Mechanism for Arcing Onset in Solar Arrays Immersed in a Low-Density Plasma

Previous experimental studies have hypothesized that the onset of Solar Array Arc (SAA) initiation in low-density space plasmas is caused by a desorbed gas molecular ionization mechanism. Indeed past investigations performed at the NASA Glenn Plasma Interaction Facility tend to not only support the desorbed gas molecular ionization mechanism, but have gone as far as identifying the crucial molecular species that must be present for molecular ion dominated process to occur. When electrical breakdown occurs at a triple junction site on a solar array panel, a quasi-neutral plasma cloud is ejected. Assuming the main component of the expelled plasma cloud by weight is due to water vapor, the fastest process available is due to HO molecules and OH(+) ions, or more succinctly, dissociative molecular-ion dominated recombination processes: H2O(+) + e(-) yields H* + OH*. Recently published spectroscopic observations of solar array arc spectra in ground tests have revealed the well-known molecular OH band (302 to 309nm), as well as the molecular SiH band (387nm peak), and the molecular CH band (432nm peak). Note that the OH band is observed in emission arcs where water vapor is present. Strong atomic lines were also observed for H(sub beta) at 486nm and H(sub alpha) at 656.3nm in prior ground testing. Independent supporting evidence of desorbed gas molecular ionization mechanisms also come from measurements of arc current pulse widths at different capacitances. We will revisit an earlier first order approximation demonstrating the dependence of arc current pulse widths on the square root of the capacitance. The simple arc current pulse width model will be then be used to estimate the temperature of the arc plasma (currently believed to be somewhere in the range of 3 to 5 eV). The current paper then seeks to extend the outlined work by including numerous vacuum chamber measurements obtained with a quadrupole mass spectrometer. A small solar array was mounted inside the vacuum chamber. A plasma source, also mounted inside the vacuum chamber, is used to simulate a low-density plasma environment. The solar array is then biased to a high negative potential and allowed to arc while a mass spectrometer is used to record the partial pressure of H2O and to track other significant changes in mass (1 to 150) AMU

Solar Array Arcing in LEO How Much Charge is Discharged?

It is often said that only the solar array or spacecraft surface that can be reached by an arc plume are discharged in a solar array arc in LEO (Low Earth Orbit). We present definitive results from ground test experiments done in the National Plasma Interactions (N-PI) facility at the NASA Glenn Research Center that this idea is mistaken. All structure surfaces in contact with the surrounding plasma and connected to spacecraft ground are discharged, whether the arc plasma can reach them or not. Implications from the strength and damaging effects of areas on LEO spacecraft are discussed, and mitigation techniques are proposed

Robotic Assessment of Wrist Proprioception During Kinaesthetic Perturbations: A Neuroergonomic Approach

Position sense refers to an aspect of proprioception crucial for motor control and learning. The onset of neurological diseases can damage such sensory afference, with consequent motor disorders dramatically reducing the associated recovery process. In regular clinical practice, assessment of proprioceptive deficits is run by means of clinical scales which do not provide quantitative measurements. However, existing robotic solutions usually do not involve multi-joint movements but are mostly applied to a single proximal or distal joint. The present work provides a testing paradigm for assessing proprioception during coordinated multi-joint distal movements and in presence of kinaesthetic perturbations: we evaluated healthy subjects' ability to match proprioceptive targets along two of the three wrist's degrees of freedom, flexion/extension and abduction/adduction. By introducing rotations along the pronation/supination axis not involved in the matching task, we tested two experimental conditions, which differed in terms of the temporal imposition of the external perturbation: in the first one, the disturbance was provided after the presentation of the proprioceptive target, while in the second one, the rotation of the pronation/ supination axis was imposed during the proprioceptive target presentation. We investigated if (i) the amplitude of the perturbation along the pronation/supination would lead to proprioceptive miscalibration; (ii) the encoding of proprioceptive target, would be influenced by the presentation sequence between the target itself and the rotational disturbance. Eighteen participants were tested by means of a haptic neuroergonomic wrist device: our findings provided evidence that the order of disturbance presentation does not alter proprioceptive acuity. Yet, a further effect has been noticed: proprioception is highly anisotropic and dependent on perturbation amplitude. Unexpectedly, the configuration of the forearm highly influences sensory feedbacks, and significantly alters subjects' performance in matching the proprioceptive targets, defining portions of the wrist workspace where kinaesthetic and proprioceptive acuity are more sensitive. This finding may suggest solutions and applications in multiple fields: from general haptics where, knowing how wrist configuration influences proprioception, might suggest new neuroergonomic solutions in device design, to clinical evaluation after neurological damage, where accurately assessing proprioceptive deficits can dramatically complement regular therapy for a better prediction of the recovery path

Staphylococcal bovine mastitis in France: enterotoxins, resistance and the human Geraldine methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clone

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