Plasma interactions with large spacecraft

Space is playing a rapidly expanding role in the conduct of the Air Force mission. Larger, more complex, high-power space platforms are planned and military astronauts will provide a new capability in spacecraft servicing. Interactions of operational satellites with the environment have been shown to degrade space sensors and electronics and to constrain systems operations. The environmental interaction effects grow nonlinearly with increasing size and power. Quantification of the interactions and development of mitigation techniques for systems-limiting interactions is essential to the success of future Air Force space operations

Stormtime Behavior of Low Energy Charged Particles in the Vicinity of the Plasmapause

Temporal and latitudinal variations of charged particle temperatures and densities over the energy range 0.1 to 50 ev have been determined during five magnetic storms. The study is based on data from spherical electrostatic analyzers flown on the Injun 5 and OGO-III satellites. The following plasma characteristics are found for each storm, the thermal density gradients at the plasmapause boundary increase. Ion and electron temperatures polewards of the boundary increase above the prestorm values by 2000 to 6000 degrees. At the same time temperatures within the plasmasphere are increased to the order of 1000 degrees over a latitude range of approximately 10 degrees equatorwards of the boundary. The decrease in thermal charged particles at the plasma-pause boundary also coincides with an increase in the flux of hyperthermal ions and electrons. The energy transfer across the plasmapause is calculated and the results are discussed in relation to the theoretical developments of Cornwall et.al. and Cole