Ion velocites of the micro-cathode arc thruster were studied using a time-of-flight (TOF) method using an enhanced ion detection system (EIDS). The EIDS utilizes double electrostatic probes to measure plasma propagation in front of the plasma source by measuring current perturbations and spiking when denser plasma bunches propogate. A new concept design, named the Bi-Modal micro-cathode arc thruster (BM-μCAT), has been introduced utilizing the same mechanism of the μCAT system but using two different electrode materials. Using the different geometry, titanium ion velocites were measured to be around 1.5 × 10~4 m/s without a magnetic field and up to 2.7 × 10~4 m/s for a magnetic field of 330 mT at a distance of 100mm from the source while nickel ion velocities were measured to be 2.2 × 10~4 m/s. It was previously proposed that the plasma is accelerated due to the Lorentz force from the acting magnetic field.
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机译：使用增强的离子检测系统（EID）使用飞行时间（TOF）方法研究了微阴极电弧推进器的离子速度。 EID利用双静电探针通过测量电流扰动和尖刺时测量等离子体源前面的等离子体繁殖，当时更密集的等离子体串联漂白剂。已经引入了一种名为双模态微阴极电弧推进器（BM-μCAT）的新概念设计，利用了μCAT系统的相同机制，但是使用两个不同的电极材料。使用不同的几何形状，测量钛离子速度为约1.5×10〜4 m / s，没有磁场，距离距离的磁场高达2.7×10〜4 m / s，距离距离为100mm的距离为100mm来源，而镍离子速度被测量为2.2×10〜4m / s。先前提出，由于来自作用磁场的洛伦兹力，等离子体被加速。
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