Production of high-velocity flows of finely divided particles using a pulsed jet diaphragm discharge in vacuum

A new method is described of producing a flow of finely divided particles using a pulsed jet diaphragm discharge (JDD) in vacuum. This method enables one to produce high-velocity (up to $30$ km/s and higher) flows of stable microparticles of different chemical compositions sized $0.1$ $\mu$m to $900$ $\mu$m under vacuum conditions $(p_{\text{vac}} = 10^{-4}$–$1.0$ Pa$)$. The possibility is demonstrated of employing this method for the simulation of combined impact made on the surface of optical materials by flows of micrometeoroids and finely divided particles of different sizes and velocities resulting from anthropogenic pollution of outer space in low circumter-restrial orbits.