AFRL Round-Robin Test Results on Plasma Propagation Velocity

The speed plasma propagates across a charged solar panel after a primary arc is one of the most important, yet poorly known, quantities in determining Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) currents for spacecraft arcing events. A review of the literature over the last two decades reveals that measured propagation velocity varies by as much as an order of magnitude. To overcome this deficiency, a round-robin set of tests was initiated with partners from industry, academia, NASA and the U.S. Air Force. This paper will provide the most recent results from the Air Force Research Laboratory testing conducted at the Spacecraft Charging and Instrument Calibration Laboratory.