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Introduction
Electrostatic analyzers (ESAs) are used to measure the energy per unit charge
distribution of ion and electron beams. Analyzers are grouped into two classifications: (1) mirrortype analyzers and (2) deflector-type analyzers. The Electrostatic Analyzers (ESAs) measure
how many electrons and ions they detect with a specified energy from a certain direction at a
given time (the particle distribution function) over the energy range from ~3 eV to 30 keV. These
thermal electrons and ions are the particles responsible for creating the aurora. The ESA
measurements allow scientists to derive the density, velocity, and temperature of the ambient
electrons and ions (plasma).
Theory/Concept
Electrostatics is a branch of physics that deals with the phenomena and properties of
stationary or slow-moving electric charges with no acceleration. Since classical physics, it has
been known that some materials such as amber attract lightweight particles after rubbing.
Electrostatic phenomena arise from the forces that electric charges exert on each other. Such
forces are described by Coulomb's law.
Coulomb's law states, The magnitude of the electrostatic force of interaction between
two point charges is directly proportional to the scalar multiplication of the magnitudes of
charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. The force is
along the straight line joining them. If the two charges have the same sign, the electrostatic
force between them is repulsive; if they have different sign, the force between them is
attractive.
There are many examples of electrostatic phenomena, from those as simple as the
attraction of the plastic wrap to your hand after you remove it from a package, to the apparently
spontaneous explosion of grain silos, to damage of electronic components during
manufacturing, to the operation of photocopiers. Electrostatics involves the buildup of charge on
the surface of objects due to contact with other surfaces. Although charge exchange happens
whenever any two surfaces contact and separate, the effects of charge exchange are usually
only noticed when at least one of the surfaces has a high resistance to electrical flow. This is
because the charges that transfer to or from the highly resistive surface are more or less
trapped there for a long enough time for their effects to be observed. These charges then
remain on the object until they either bleed off to ground or are quickly neutralized by
a discharge: e.g., the familiar phenomenon of a static 'shock' is caused by the neutralization of
charge built up in the body from contact with insulated surfaces.
An ion is an atom or molecule in which the total number of electrons is not equal to the
total number of protons, giving the atom a net positive or negative electrical charge. Ions can be
created by both chemical and physical means. In chemical terms, if a neutral atom loses one or
more electrons, it has a net positive charge and is known as a cation. If an atom gains
electrons, it has a net negative charge and is known as an anion. An ion consisting of a single
made of aluminum for space missions, is sometimes plated with black chrome or even Ebonol
C to absorb stray light, instead of allowing it to bounce its way through.
Face-field cylindrical energy analyzer
The Face-Field Cylindrical Energy Analyzer is a very new class of electrostatic cylindrical
energy analyzers. It uses a cylindrical field, restricted by concentric cylindrical electrodes and
two flat electrodes perpendicular to the axis of symmetry. The inner electrode is usually
connected with the flat electrodes, and the outer one, which is electrically isolated, has an
electric potential that can either be constant or variable. (Potential is negative (-) for an electron
beam, and positive (+) for a positive-ion beam.) The focusing field becomes very different from
that of the simple-cylinder type (such as in the well-known CMA) near the flat-face boundaries;
namely, it can achieve a very high energy resolution for a beam entering through the entrance
window in one of the face electrodes. This new class of analyzer can be used in a variety of
applications. It do remote sensing such as measuring the flow of charged particles in space;
e.g., scanning-electron/Auger-electron spectroscopy for analyzing large objects.
ESAs are usually designed and analyzed using an off-the-shelf ion-optics simulationsoftware package, such as SimIon, which includes the capability of performing Monte Carlo
simulations on known test particles, thus providing the designer a better understanding of the
response characteristics of the analyzer itself.
Design
A picture of a spherical deflector (SDA) type electrostatic analyzer, representative of ESAs in
general, is shown in Figure 1. Particles enter the analyzer at the source plane and exit at the
image plane. The analyzer geometry and applied voltages are chosen such that charged
particles of a particular energy, called the pass or transmission energy, curve along a prescribed
path called the optic axis of the analyzer.
and the mass is in the low kg range. Smaller designs have been manufactured that occupy as
little volume as 1.5 cm3 (C. Enloe 2003).
References