Detection of surface glow related to spacecraft glow phenomena

We have developed a source of low energy neutral atoms and molecules by using a biased limiter to scrape‐off and reflect neutralized ions from a toroidal plasma. Beams of nitrogen and nitrogen‐oxygen mixtures with energies of 1 to 15 eV and fluxes ≳ 10 14 /cm²/s were directed onto target surfaces consisting of Z‐302 and Z‐306 paints. With the nitrogen beams we successfully detected a glow due to beam‐surface interactions. In addition, we observed a volume glow effect due to beam‐gas interactions which may play a role in spacecraft glow.