Ground-based experiment of electron collection by an electrodynamic bare tether

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Bare-tether systems are one of the greatest-efficiency electrodynamic tethered systems. The system with an uninsulated portion of the metallic tether itself to collect electrons from the space plasma is operated as a thruster or a power generator on a satellite. Ground experiments were carried out to understand phenomena of electron collection by a bare tether in space. Metallic tether samples were exposed to a simulating Low-Earth-Orbit plasma flow as varying tether sample diameter and length, and plasma velocity. A magnetic field was also applied. The normalized collection current increased with plasma velocity. The existence of magnetic field raised the normalized collection current because of the edge effect of a tether sample or the three-dimensional effect. A high collection current above the orbital-motion-limited current could be achieved with a magnetic field. The current characteristics of a bare tether strongly depended on plasma velocity and surrounding magnetic field.

資料番号: AA0049206070

レポート番号: JAXA-SP-05-001E

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