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Net current density of photoelectrons emitted from the surface of the GEOTAIL spacecraft

Earth, Planets and Space volume 52, pages 283–292 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

The current density carried by photoelectrons emitted from the GEOTAIL spacecraft is estimated from the electric potential of the spacecraft measured in the single probe mode of GEOTAIL/EFD and plasma density and temperature obtained by GEOTAIL/LEP during the period from September 14, 1993 to October 31, 1998, by assuming balance of the currents carried by photoelectrons and ambient thermal electrons. Behaviour of the photoelectron current as a function of spacecraft potential is consistent with the current profile predicted by Grard (1973), and the emitted photoelectrons consist of several components with different temperatures. The saturation density of the low energy component of the photoelectron current is 85 ± 33 × 10−6 [Am−2]. Number density of the photoelectrons is estimated to be 2.9 ± 1.4 × 109 [m−3] at the surface of the spacecraft, and the average energy of the photoelectrons is 2.1 ±0.5 [eV]. These values are higher than the prediction by Grard but consistent with previous in-flight measurements from GEOS-1, ISEE-1 or Viking.

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Author notes

  1. Takuma Ishii

    Present address: Cable Media Corporation, 3-5-39 Kamisugi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-0011, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tohoku Institute of Technology, 35-1 Yagiyama Kasumi-cho, Taihaku-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 982-8577, Japan

    Tomoko Nakagawa & Takuma Ishii

  2. The Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 229-8510, Japan

    Koichiro Tsuruda, Hajime Hayakawa & Toshifumi Mukai

Authors
  1. Tomoko Nakagawa
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  2. Takuma Ishii
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  3. Koichiro Tsuruda
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  4. Hajime Hayakawa
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  5. Toshifumi Mukai
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Correspondence to Tomoko Nakagawa.

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Nakagawa, T., Ishii, T., Tsuruda, K. et al. Net current density of photoelectrons emitted from the surface of the GEOTAIL spacecraft. Earth Planet Sp 52, 283–292 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03351637

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03351637

Keywords

  • Solar Wind
  • Indium Oxide
  • Ambient Plasma
  • Spacecraft Potential
  • Ambient Electron