Date of Award

Summer 8-2020

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Physics

First Advisor

JR Dennison

Abstract

Modeling the rate and likelihood of spacecraft charging during spacecraft mission is critical to determine mission length, proposed spacec­raft attitude, and spacecraft design. The focus of this work is the creation and utilization of a database of secondary electron yield (SEY) measurements for a host of materials to increase accuracy in spacecraft modeling. Traditional methods of SEY data selection for input into spacecraft charging codes typically include the use of compiled materials databases incorporated in charging codes or selecting values from a specific scientific study. The SEY database allows users to select data inputs based upon the details associated with the studies used to generate the data. Qualifications of data based upon surface morphology, surface contamination, and data origin are all included as well as a brief guide to assist researchers in understanding the way to best determine which dataset would best model their craft in its proposed environment. Such qualifications of data allow for more accurate modeling and for the amount of fault tree analysis utilized in spacecraft monitoring to be decreased as a more accurate root cause analysis can be performed preflight.

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