Radiofrequency (RF) magnetized Helicon plasma sources have been proposed for the development of space thrusters, whose thrust efficiency and specific impulse depend on the power coupled into the plasma by the RF antenna that drives the discharge. In this work we report on a set of numerical experiments specifically conceived to optimize Helicon sources in terms of plasma parameters (e.g., gas species, plasma density, external magneto-static field, neutral pressure), and the RF antenna shape. Results concerning the power coupled into the plasma and the antenna impedance for different antenna configurations and plasma parameters are presented and discussed.
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