A theoretical model describing the discharge plasma in a cusped ion thruster has been developed. A key feature of the model is that it permits the determination of the fraction of ions produced that are lost to the chamber wall. Using this model, we could calculate the ion loss fraction and discharge performance (ion production cost and propellant utilization efficiency). In order to improve discharge performance, the ion loss fraction should be reduced to as low a level as possible. This reduction was found to be achieved not only by the suppression of ion leakage from the field-free region to cusp region, but also by the reduction of ionization in the cusp region.
Analysis of plasma loss in a ring-cusp ion thruster
Analyse der Plasmaverluste in einem Ringspitzen-Ionentriebwerk
AIAA-Papers ; May ; 1-7
1987
7 Seiten, 8 Bilder, 11 Quellen
Aufsatz (Konferenz)
Englisch
Analysis of plasma loss in a ring-cusp ion thruster
AIAA | 1987
|Plasma Structure of Miniature Ring-Cusp Ion Thruster Discharges
Online Contents | 2014
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