Pulse electro-acoustic measurements with contact and contact-less on electron irradiated polymers

Several types of polymeric materials are used in satellites wings and body. When these dielectrics are submitted to an electronic irradiation, sudden discharge might occur after a period of accumulation. To get a better knowledge on the charging and discharging phenomena in dielectrics, experimental studies are performed on earth. We focused our studies on the effect of the electronic irradiation, which is the main cause of charging, on polymeric films. Between two periods of irradiation and during the relaxation classic surface potential measurements are performed. The space charge distribution in the bulk is followed thanks to the pulse electro acoustic (PEA) method adapted to work under the appropriated configuration. We completed our studies by a series of simulations.