Charging of Dust Grains in Plasma with Energetic Electrons

Abstract

The charge on small grains of glass, copper, graphite, and silicon has been measured in a plasma device containing both thermal electrons with energies of a few eV and monoenergetic suprathermal electrons. For conditions in which the charging current is dominated by suprathermal electrons, the grains charge to the potential that repels these electrons unless they induce significant secondary emission. The charge on the grains is linear with size for diameters from 30 to 120 \ensuremath{\mu}m and is the value expected from the grain capacitance and the charging potential.