Engineering topics
Chang, Patrick
Publications and source records attributed to Chang, Patrick.
The physics of positively biased conductors surrounded by dielectrics in contact with a plasma
The physics of a positively biased conductor surrounded by dielectrics in contact with plasma is investigated. It is shown that because of the presence of secondary emission from the surrounding dielectrics, the voltage of the surfaces near the conductor has three solutions. The high- and low-voltage solutions are stable, while the intermediate-voltage solution is unstable. This theory is applied to explain the snapover effect observed on high-voltage solar arrays that involve the use of highly biased surfaces in contact with the space environment.
Hastings, Daniel E.↗