In-Situ Space Charge Measurement System for Space Environment Monitoring

An in-situ, internal space charge measurement system for dielectric materials under irradiation has been developed by using the pulsed electroacoustic (PEA) method. This system can observe space charge profiles in dielectric materials under irradiation, and was applied to an irradiation chamber at the Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Mrospatiales, Centre de Toulouse (ONERA-CERT), supported by Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). Space charge profiles in a several kinds of polymeric materials were clearly observed under and after electron beam irradiations. Negative charges accumulated at the position corresponding to the energy of the electron beam in all the specimens. The in-situ observation of the internal space charge behaviour can give valuable information for the investigation of charging and discharging phenomena and of ageing mechanisms of dielectric materials used in the space.