Pioneer Venus spacecraft charging model

Abstract

Five environmental models were constructed to represent the solar wind and the upper, middle, and lower ionosphere of Venus. The spacecraft structure was modeled with over 140 passive electrical elements representing structural elements of the spacecraft. Electron, ion, secondary electron, and photocurrents to the spacecraft from the plasma were calculated, ignoring sheath effects. In all but one case, potentials of interest were less than 1 volt. Potential differences between widely separated points on the equipment shelf were less than 1 mV. The one area of concern is the solar panel potential when the orbiter is passing through the bowshock region.