Arcing predictions for PASP plus arrays

Summary form only given. The mission of the PASP Plus (Photovoltaic Array Space Power Plus Diagnostics) experiment is to study space plasma interactions with advanced solar arrays, some of which have never been flight tested. The conventional arrays to be biased on PASP Plus include two RCA silicon arrays, two APEX GaAs/Ge arrays, a Spectrolab GaAs/Ge array, and a TRW APSA array. The WTC (wrap-through contact) arrays to be biased on PASP Plus include the Space Station Freedom cells and Spectrolab´s GaAs/Ge cells. Arc rate prediction curves for these arrays all exhibit the typical steep rise in arc rates at lower voltages and a limited increase in arc rates at higher voltages. Significant differences can be seen in the highest arc rates. Spectrolab´s GaAs/Ge array does not reach an arc rate of 10 sec/sup -1/, but the APEX arrays and the APSA array have arc rates over 500 sec/sup -1/. The most significant physical difference among the arrays is the thickness of the coverglass and adhesive dielectrics. The thicker dielectrics of the Spectrolab GaAs/Ge cells decrease the arc rate, while the thin dielectrics of the APEX and APSA arrays increase the arc rate. For the WTC cells the conductors of interest are actually semiconductors so that the arc rate on these cells should be lower than on the conventional cells.