HR: 09:25h
AN: SA41A-06    [PDF]
TI: Charging of meteoroids: effect of thermionic emission
AU: Delzanno, G L
EM: gianluca.delzanno@polito.it
AF: INFM Sezione di Torino, Corso Duca, Torino, 10137 Italy
AU: * Lapenta, G
EM: lapenta@lanl.gov
AF: Los Alamos National Laboratory, MS: K717, Los Alamos, nm 87545 United States
AU: Rosenberg, M
EM: rosenber@fleece.ucsd.edu
AF: University of San Diego, 5998 Alcala Park San Diego, san diego, ca 92110 United States
AB: In the present work we focus on the role of thermionic emission in the charging of a meteoroid. It has been shown [1] that the higher mobility of the plasma electrons (that would lead to negatively charged meteoroids) can be overcome by electron emission, thus reversing the meteoroid polarity. Moreover, recent work [2] has shown how electron emission can fundamentally affect the shielding potential around the dust. In particular, depending on the physical parameters of the system the shielding potential can develop an attractive potential well. The aim of the present work is two-fold. First, we will present a parametric study in order to understand the conditions for the formation, as well as the stability of the well. Furthermore, simulations will be presented with physical parameters corresponding to the ionosphere, thus extending our study to the case of meteoroids. [1] G. Sorasio, D. A. Mendis, and M. Rosenberg, "The role of thermionic emission in meteor physics," Planet. Space Sci. 49, 1257, 2001. [2] G.L. Delzanno, G. Lapenta, M. Rosenberg, "Attractive Potential among Thermionically Emitting Microparticles", submitted.
DE: 0644 Numerical methods
DE: 0654 Plasmas
DE: 6205 Asteroids and meteoroids
DE: 6245 Meteors
SC: SPA - Aeronomy [SA]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting