Electric properties of space used polymers under high energy electron irradiation

Polymer materials are widely used on spacecraft for optical, thermal or electrical devices. These materials are submitted in space, especially in geostationary conditions, to high energy electron radiation. These electrons could induce high charging levels, which may be hazardous for spacecraft systems, and affect at great level the electric conductivity of polymers. This study reveals that radiation induced conductivity strongly evolves with the received radiation dose yielding to complex surface potential profile that differs significantly from one material to the other. These results have been analyzed in the light of a physical model that takes into account ionization, trapping / detrapping and recombination mechanisms for negative and positive charges.