Highlights Analytic and numeric computations of the Coulomb force between charged bodies in a Earth orbit plasma investigated. A fast and accurate analytic method of capturing the interaction of a charged body in a plasma is shown. Effective Debye lengths that more accurately capture the charge partial shielding can be up to 7 times larger at GEO. Effective Debye lengths at LEO are increased from the centimeter to meter level.

    Abstract Coulomb formation flight is a concept that utilizes electrostatic forces to control the separations of close proximity spacecraft. The Coulomb force between charged bodies is a product of their size, separation, potential and interaction with the local plasma environment. A fast and accurate analytic method of capturing the interaction of a charged body in a plasma is shown. The Debye–Hückel analytic model of the electrostatic field about a charged sphere in a plasma is expanded to analytically compute the forces. This model is fitted to numerical simulations with representative geosynchronous and low Earth orbit (GEO and LEO) plasma environments using an effective Debye length. This effective Debye length, which more accurately captures the charge partial shielding, can be up to 7 times larger at GEO, and as great as 100 times larger at LEO. The force between a sphere and point charge is accurately captured with the effective Debye length, as opposed to the electron Debye length solutions that have errors exceeding 50%. One notable finding is that the effective Debye lengths in LEO plasmas about a charged body are increased from centimeters to meters. This is a promising outcome, as the reduced shielding at increased potentials provides sufficient force levels for operating the electrostatically inflated membrane structures concept at these dense plasma altitudes.


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    Titel :

    Effective Coulomb force modeling for spacecraft in Earth orbit plasmas


    Beteiligte:

    Erschienen in:

    Advances in Space Research ; 54 , 2 ; 209-220


    Erscheinungsdatum :

    2014-04-07


    Format / Umfang :

    12 pages




    Medientyp :

    Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)


    Format :

    Elektronische Ressource


    Sprache :

    Englisch







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