Non-contact in-situ pulsed electro acoustic method for the analysis of charge transport in irradiated space-used polymers

The characterization of dielectric materials in space environment requires to understand and predict their electric behaviour, taking into account ionisation, and ageing effect (through electron or UV radiation, thermal cycling, ...) For this purpose, new methods have been developed for the characterisation and qualification of space materials and satellite structure. These studies led initially to the development of dedicated facilities for the simulation of representative irradiation conditions. This work is focused on a new non-disturbing technique for the measurement of charge distribution within space irradiated polymers. This technique named PEA (Pulsed Electra-Acoustic) has been implemented in the irradiation facility for in-situ and real time measurement during irradiation and relaxation of polymer materials. Implementation and validation of this technique are presented and discussed in this paper. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.