Measurements have been obtained for the operating characteristics of a 30 cm diameter ring-cusp ion thruster (RCIT), quantitatively comparing its performance parameters to those of a divergent-field J-series cluster of the same size. The high level of performance established for the RCIT is due to its maintenance of both a higher primary-electron population and Maxwellian-electron temperature, as the beam-ion production cost is reduced to its baseline value. Ion losses to the discharge-chamber walls can be reduced by an applied electrostatic field.
Characteristics of ring-cusp discharge chambers
1991-12-01
Miscellaneous
No indication
English
Characteristics of ring-cusp discharge chambers
AIAA | 1991
|Ring cusp discharge chamber performance optimization
NTRS | 1986
|Ring cusp discharge chamber performance optimization
AIAA | 1985
|Ring cusp discharge chamber performance optimization
AIAA | 1986
|Performance characteristics of ring-cusp ion thruster
AIAA | 1987
|