Spacecraft charging studied with numerical simulations

A spacecraft in space is charged by plasma currents, and also by other currents such as photoemission or secondary electrons. As the result the sheath is forming around the spacecraft. For the spacecraft operations and space measurements, it is important to know the potential of the spacecraft and how it influences its surroundings. 

In this project, the candidate will study the charging of a spacecraft under different plasma conditions. The work will also include development of new charging processes into existing particle-in-cell (PIC) codes, such as by photoemission and secondary electron emission. It is expected that the candidate will contribute to the development of the numerical routines within the larger PIC codes that are being developed at the group, and that the candidate will be a member of a larger code-developer team.