Header image  
 
 

Abstract

Space technology has become an increasingly critical aspect of our every day lives, our well being and the security of our societies. Satellites are used for monitoring our near-space environment, for doing remote sensing of Earth or other planets, as well as for studying fundamental processes in distant astrophysical objects. In order to make optimal use of space-enabled technology it is imperative to develop a good understanding of the interaction between space-based systems and their environment. This is clearly required for the design of such systems and in order to ensure their survivability and proper operation in often extreme conditions. It is also needed for the correct interpretation of measurements and other information collected in situ. The challenge of modelling the interaction of spacecraft with their space plasma environment is considerable and, despite many years of progress, several fundamental questions remain. This working group will carry a number of case studies to elucidate questions identified as of high priority, and with a direct impact on research. Our objective is to advance knowledge and understanding in targeted areas in ways that would not be possible without the level of collaboration considered here. Research activities will concentrate on five basic and interdependent aspects of satellite interaction with the space environment. These are: i) charging, ii) sheath effects, iii) particle emission from surfaces, iv) transient responses and v) wake dynamics. These will be studied using a combination of computer models and, where possible, detailed measurement results. Different plasma conditions will be considered corresponding to possible space environments of interest, including the ionosphere, Earth magnetosphere and the interplanetary solar wind. Wherever possible, studies will also be conducted by considering specific cases or missions of direct interest to group members including for example, Solar Probe, Solar Orbiter, Rosetta, Cluster or Swarm. The specific applications that will be considered include measurements of electric fields, antenna-plasma coupling, particle distribution measurements and the interpretation of Langmuir probe measurements. By benchmarking our model predictions against observations, and by comparing model results with one another, we will provide an assessment of their validity and limitations under the different space plasma conditions of interest. In the longer term, this will point to directions for improving these models.