Investigation of electrostatic potential barrier near an electron-emitting body

Electrons emitted on spacecraft surfaces can generate negative potential barriers. This may affect the equilibrium potential of the spacecraft, which can be driven more negative and jeopardise plasma measurements by repelling low energy particles. This phenomenon is investigated with the help of a numerical method based on the turning point formalism to classify orbits and which is validated with a PIC code. Comparison with spacecraft data in the magnetosphere is performed.