Impact ionization double peaks analyzed in high temporal resolution on Solar Orbiter

Abstract

Solar Orbiter is equipped with electrical antennas performing fast measurements of the surrounding electric field. The antennas register high-velocity dust impacts through the electrical signatures of impact ionization. Although the basic principle of the detection has been known for decades, the understanding of the underlying process is not complete, due to the unique mechanical and electrical design of each spacecraft and the variability of the process. We present a study of electrical signatures of dust impacts on Solar Orbiter's body, as measured with the Radio and Plasma Waves electrical suite. A large proportion of the signatures present double-peak electrical waveforms in addition to the fast pre-spike due to electron motion, which are systematically observed for the first time. We believe this is due to Solar Orbiter's unique antenna design and a high temporal resolution of the measurements. The double peaks are explained as being due to two distinct processes. Qualitative and quantitative features of both peaks are described. The process for producing the primary peak has been studied extensively before, and the process for producing the secondary peak has been proposed before (Pantellini et al., 2012a) for Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO), although the corresponding delay of 100–300 µs between the primary and the secondary peak has not been observed until now. Based on this study, we conclude that the primary peak's amplitude is the better measure of the impact-produced charge, for which we find a typical value of around 8 pC. Therefore, the primary peak should be used to derive the impact-generated charge rather than the maximum. The observed asymmetry between the primary peaks measured with individual antennas is quantitatively explained as electrostatic induction. A relationship between the amplitude of the primary and the secondary peak is found to be non-linear, and the relation is partially explained with a model for electrical interaction through the antennas' photoelectron sheath.