A monopole antenna associated with an instrument. The instrument applies a potential to the
antenna which is swept to determine the voltage/current characteristic. This provides
information about the plasma surrounding the probe and spacecraft.
A Langmuir probe is a device used to determine the electron temperature, electron density, and electric potential of a plasma. It works by inserting one or more electrodes into a plasma, with a constant or time-varying electric potential between the various electrodes or between them and the surrounding vessel. The measured currents and potentials in this system allow the determination of the physical properties of the plasma.
