Simulations of Internal Charging Effects of Artificial Radiation Belt on Dielectric Material

Abstract

To find out the law of charging effects of high-energy electrons in artificial radiation belt produced by a high-altitude nuclear explosion (HANE) on the dielectric materials, we present a simulation model of high-energy electrons in artificial radiation belt contributing to internal charging of dielectric material, which are commonly used inside the satellites or spacecraft. The deposition electric parameters such as injection current density, charge deposition rate, and radiation dose rate are obtained by using the Monte Carlo simulation method. The equations of charging electric field of Teflon material have been presented and numerically solved. The distributions of electric field and potential in the dielectric material Teflon charged by artificial radiation belt and the change rules with charging time have been obtained. The results show that the peak charging electric field produced by artificial radiation belt in dielectric material is lower than that produced by 1-MeV single-energy electron under the same injection current density. When the artificial radiation belt generated by the HANE with a yield of 5 kt charges the Teflon material with a thickness of 4 mm, the time needed for charging to reach saturation will be more than 24 h, and the saturated charging electric field can reach 10 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">6</sup> V/m, so the discharge risk is low. For artificial radiation belt generated by the HANE with a yield 1.4 Mt, when the time to start charging is within 100 days after the explosion and the charging duration is within 1 h, the maximum charging electric field in Teflon material will exceed 10 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">7</sup> V/m and the discharge risk will be high.