Plasma production by secondary impacts: Implications for velocity measurements by in-situ dust detectors

摘要: Abstract A number of in-situ cosmic dust detectors derive the particle velocities from measurement risetimes impact plasma signal. Extensive calibration these instruments has established a reliable empirical relationship but quantitative explanation not been available, with result that confidence in flight data outside range is hard to assess. Recent measurements taken at accelerator facilities University Kent (UK) and MPI-K (Germany), supported by theoretical analysis, have demonstrated results time-spread secondary impacts coupled mobility ions cloud, which turn determined magnitude geometry applied electric field on ion species present. Results current investigations are presented, implications based this principle high velocities, masses unobtainable studies, for other instrument geometries, considered.