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  4. Investigation of surface charging characteristics of ion-irradiated alumina ceramics: Transition from secondary electron emission to charge injection
 
research article

Investigation of surface charging characteristics of ion-irradiated alumina ceramics: Transition from secondary electron emission to charge injection

Liu, Hao-Yan
•
An, Wen-Tong
•
Sun, Guang-Yu  
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December 22, 2025
Applied Physics Letters

Abnormal electrical breakdowns have been observed in the grid system of ion thrusters during both ground tests and space missions, leading to severe discharge-induced damage. Alumina ceramic, commonly used as an insulating material in grid systems, is subject to surface modification under ion beam irradiation, which in turn significantly alters its surface charging behavior. In this study, we systematically investigated the charging characteristics of alumina ceramics after Xe+ ion irradiation, including trap distribution, surface resistivity, and surface potential. Our results demonstrate that the dominant charging mechanism shifts from secondary electron emission to charge injection after irradiation. Prolonged ion irradiation results in increased surface negative charge accumulation, which increases the risk of insulation failure. Furthermore, a self-consistent electron transport model is employed to support the experimental measurement. This work aims to establish the intrinsic link between ion irradiation damage and insulation degradation, contributing to uncovering the underlying physical mechanisms of abnormal discharges in ion thruster grid systems.

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Type
research article
DOI
10.1063/5.0291583
Author(s)
Liu, Hao-Yan
An, Wen-Tong
Sun, Guang-Yu  

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Zhou, Sheng
Qi, Chang-Chun
Liu, Yue-Lin
Liu, Yan-Qi
Li, Wen-Rui
Zhang, Guan-Jun
Date Issued

2025-12-22

Publisher

AIP Publishing

Published in
Applied Physics Letters
Volume

127

Issue

25

Article Number

252903

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
POWERLAB  
FunderFunding(s)Grant NumberGrant URL

National Natural Science Foundation of China

51827809

National Natural Science Foundation of China

52537007

Available on Infoscience
December 29, 2025
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/257346
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