Operating the helicon double layer thruster in a space simulation chamber

被引：14

作者：

Charles, Christine ^{[1
]}

Boswell, Rod ^{[1
]}

Alexander, Peter ^{[1
]}

Costa, Costanzo ^{[1
]}

Sutherland, Orson ^{[1
]}

Pfitzner, Leigh ^{[2
]}

Franzen, Roger ^{[2
]}

Kingwell, Jeff ^{[3
]}

Parfitt, Andrew ^{[3
]}

Frigot, Pierre-Etienne ^{[4
]}

Del Amo, Jose ^{[4
]}

Saccoccia, Georgio ^{[4
]}

机构：

[1] Australian Natl Univ, SP3 Grp, Plasma Res Lab, Res Sch Phys Sci & Engn, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia

[2] Auspace Ltd, Mitchell, ACT 2911, Australia

[3] CRC Satellites Syst, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia

[4] European Space Agcy, European Space Res & Technol Ctr, NL-2200 AG Noordwijk, Netherlands

来源：

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON PLASMA SCIENCE | 2008年 / 36卷 / 04期

关键词：

acceleration; ion beams; plasma engines; propulsion;

D O I：

10.1109/TPS.2008.924425

中图分类号：

O35 [流体力学]; O53 [等离子体物理学];

学科分类号：

070204 ; 080103 ; 080704 ;

摘要：

A prototype of the helicon double layer thruster (HDLT) is designed and manufactured. Initial tests with the thruster mounted on a small vacuum chamber (pumping speed of 700 l.s(-1)) show successful operation in xenon with the formation of the double layer which generates a low divergence ion beam, which is the source of thrust. The prototype is subsequently inserted inside a much larger space simulation chamber (pumping speed of 7000 l.s(-1)). A high-density blue mode is found when increasing the RF power above 380 W, and measurements with a Langmuir probe give an estimated density of 10(12) cm(-3); in the thruster. An image of the HDLT operating in the high-density blue mode is presented.

引用

页码：1196 / 1197

页数：2

共 9 条

[1] Laboratory evidence of a supersonic ion beam generated by a current-free "helicon" double-layer [J].