Experimental Investigation of Photoemission from Satellite Surface Materials

Photoemission properties were measured for the materials gold, aluminium, stainless steel, vitreous carbon, Aquadag, graphite, silica, and semiconducting indium oxide. The surfaces were treated so as to simulate the conditions actually encountered in space missions. Results are presented on the reflectance, photoyield, and photoelectron energy distributions up to 25 eV, and on the work function. From the yield curves the photoelectron flux under solar irradiation is calculated. Methods are discussed for controlling photoemission both with respect to the number of emitted electrons and their energy distribution.