Observations of current collection enhancements due to cold nitrogen gas control jet emissions from a highly charged rocket payload in the ionosphere are reported. These observations were made during the second cooperative high altitude rocket gun experiment (CHARGE-2) which was an electrically tethered mother/daughter payload system. The current collection enhancement was observed at the daughter payload located 100 to 400 m away from the mother which was firing an energetic electron beam. The authors interpret these results in terms of an electrical discharge forming in close proximity to the daughter during the short periods of gas emission. The results indicate that it is possible to enhance the electron current collection capability of positively charged vehicles by means of deliberate neutral gas releases into an otherwise undisturbed space plasma. These results can also be compared with recent laboratory observations of hollow cathode plasma contactors operating in the ignited mode. Experimental observations of current collection enhancements due to cold nitrogen gas control jet emissions from a highly charged, isolated daughter payload in the nighttime ionosphere were made. These observations were derived from the second cooperative high altitude rocket gun experiment (CHARGE-2) which was an electrically tethered mother-daughter payload system. The rocket flew from White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in December, 1985. The rocket achieved an altitude of 261 km and carried a 1 keV electron beam emitting up to 48 mA of current (Myers, et al., 1989a). The mother payload, carried the electron beam source, while the daughter acted as a remote current collection and observation platform and reached a distance of 426 m away from the main payload. Gas emissions at the daughter were due to periodic thruster jet firings to maintain separation velocity between the two payloads.


    Zugriff

    Zugriff über TIB

    Verfügbarkeit in meiner Bibliothek prüfen


    Exportieren, teilen und zitieren



    Titel :

    Effects of neutral gas release on current collection during the CHARGE-2 rocket experiment


    Beteiligte:
    Gilchrist, B. E. (Autor:in) / Banks, P. M. (Autor:in) / Neubert, T. (Autor:in) / Williamson, P. R. (Autor:in) / Myers, Neil B. (Autor:in) / Raitt, W. John (Autor:in) / Sasaki, S. (Autor:in)


    Erscheinungsdatum :

    1990-12-01


    Medientyp :

    Aufsatz (Konferenz)


    Format :

    Keine Angabe


    Sprache :

    Englisch


    Schlagwörter :


    Effects of Neutral Gas Release on Current Collection During the Charge-2 Rocket Experiment

    B. E. Gilchrist / P. M. Banks / T. Neubert et al. | NTIS | 1990


    Current Collection Experiment of Bare Electrodynamic Tape Tether by Using Sounding Rocket

    Yamagiwa, Yoshiki / Takagi, Akeru / Yoshimura, Naoyoshi et al. | AIAA | 2012



    Payload environment and gas release effects on sounding rocket neutral pressure measurements

    Pickett, Jolene S. / Morgan, David D. / Merlino, Robert L. et al. | AIAA | 1996


    Results from a tethered rocket experiment (Charge-2)

    Kawashima, N. / Sasaki, S. / Oyama, K.I. et al. | Elsevier | 1988