Study on the Electromagnetic Radiation Effect of a Thermal Control Layer

To study the electromagnetic radiation effect of a thermal control layer (TCL) on the surface of general spacecraft in a space environment, a model of thermal control material irradiated with microwaves was established, a particle-in-cell (PIC)-Monte Carlo collisions (MCC) simulation was used, and the processes of field emission, multipacting, outgassing, and impact ionization on the surface of thermal control materials were simulated. By comparing the primary electrons, secondary electrons, and impact ionization electrons produced under different field intensities and frequencies of electromagnetic waves, different compositions of outgassing, and different thermal control materials, the influencing factors and critical thresholds of avalanche ionization were obtained. The simulation results show that whether avalanche ionization occurs in outgassing on the surface of the TCL is affected by the electromagnetic wave amplitude, electromagnetic wave frequency, outgassing composition, and the material of the TCL. This provides a theoretical reference for the safe operation of spacecraft.