Contact charging of microparticles for space propulsion and terrestrial applications

This paper reports on experiments aiming at an efficient technique for contact charging of conductive microparticles. Fine electrode structures generate high electric field strengths which charge the particles in contact with the high voltage electrode. Highly charged microparticles are a prerequisite for electrostatic microparticle acceleration in laboratory experiments and advanced concepts in space propulsion and terrestrial applications. Possible terrestrial applications are the treatment of surfaces and hypervelocity experiments, e.g. simulation of micrometeorites.