Characterizing propellants for variable-thrust/specific impulse colloid thrusters

摘要

Work is reported on the use of quantitative structural property relationships to estimate the properties of ionic liquids for which no measured property data are available and to classify liquids as to the mode of emission in colloid thruster applications. Quantitative structural property relationships are classification or regression models that are based on molecular properties. Here, it is shown that electrical conductivity, polarizability, boiling point, viscosity, and other properties can be correlated against descriptors of the ion electron density field. Likewise, the emission mode in colloid thrusters can be classified using similar descriptors.