Non-Magnetic Ion Micro-Thruster for Small Spacecraft Applications.

摘要

The applicability of a unique discharge chamber, previously studied by VI Miljevic, as the ion source for a meso-scale ion thruster was investigated. The discharge chamber geometry was chosen due to promising results which appear to alleviate the requirement of external magnetic fields, while achieving an adequate degree of ionization. The earlier results from spectroscopic studies done on a similar discharge chamber indicated a high degree of ionization, therefore making it a possible configuration for an ion thruster. An estimate of the degree of ionization made using a simple model of the discharge chamber showed a lack of ionization which warranted further examination of Miljevic's work. The previous spectroscopic studies were reinvestigated and discrepancies were found. Additional spectroscopic and Langmuir probe measurements are made in the plume to determine degree of ionization of the discharge chamber of several operating conditions. The degree of ionization was experimentally shown to be 0.06-0.1 %. S simple extraction ring increases the degree of ionization by roughly a factor of 3.