Experimental evidence of parametric decay processes in the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket (VASIMR) helicon plasma source

R. W. Boswell; O. Sutherland; C. Charles; J. P. Squire; F. R.Chang Díaz; T. W. Glover; V. T. Jacobson; D. G. Chavers; R. D. Bengtson; E. A. Bering; R. H. Goulding; M. Light

doi:10.1063/1.1803579

Experimental evidence of parametric decay processes in the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket (VASIMR) helicon plasma source

R. W. Boswell^*, O. Sutherland, C. Charles, J. P. Squire, F. R.Chang Díaz, T. W. Glover, V. T. Jacobson, D. G. Chavers, R. D. Bengtson, E. A. Bering, R. H. Goulding, M. Light

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Decay waves have been observed in the megahertz range in the helium plasma generated by the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket magnetoplasma thruster. They are measured using one of the tips of a triple probe connected to a 50 Ω input of a spectrum analyzer via a dc block (a small capacitor). The maximum amplitude of all waves is in the center of the plasma and does not appear correlated to the radial electron density or temperature profiles. The waves seem to be generated close to the helicon antenna that was 91 cm "upstream" from the measuring Langmuir probe. A possible explanation is parametric decay of the large amplitude helicon wave that also generates the plasma.

Original language	English
Article number	5
Pages (from-to)	5125-5129
Number of pages	5
Journal	Physics of Plasmas
Volume	11
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1803579
Publication status	Published - Nov 2004

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Boswell, R. W., Sutherland, O., Charles, C., Squire, J. P., Díaz, F. R. C., Glover, T. W., Jacobson, V. T., Chavers, D. G., Bengtson, R. D., Bering, E. A., Goulding, R. H., & Light, M. (2004). Experimental evidence of parametric decay processes in the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket (VASIMR) helicon plasma source. Physics of Plasmas, 11(11), 5125-5129. Article 5. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1803579

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title = "Experimental evidence of parametric decay processes in the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket (VASIMR) helicon plasma source",

abstract = "Decay waves have been observed in the megahertz range in the helium plasma generated by the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket magnetoplasma thruster. They are measured using one of the tips of a triple probe connected to a 50 Ω input of a spectrum analyzer via a dc block (a small capacitor). The maximum amplitude of all waves is in the center of the plasma and does not appear correlated to the radial electron density or temperature profiles. The waves seem to be generated close to the helicon antenna that was 91 cm {"}upstream{"} from the measuring Langmuir probe. A possible explanation is parametric decay of the large amplitude helicon wave that also generates the plasma.",

author = "Boswell, {R. W.} and O. Sutherland and C. Charles and Squire, {J. P.} and D{\'i}az, {F. R.Chang} and Glover, {T. W.} and Jacobson, {V. T.} and Chavers, {D. G.} and Bengtson, {R. D.} and Bering, {E. A.} and Goulding, {R. H.} and M. Light",

year = "2004",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1063/1.1803579",

language = "English",

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Boswell, RW, Sutherland, O, Charles, C, Squire, JP, Díaz, FRC, Glover, TW, Jacobson, VT, Chavers, DG, Bengtson, RD, Bering, EA, Goulding, RH & Light, M 2004, 'Experimental evidence of parametric decay processes in the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket (VASIMR) helicon plasma source', Physics of Plasmas, vol. 11, no. 11, 5, pp. 5125-5129. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1803579

TY - JOUR

T1 - Experimental evidence of parametric decay processes in the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket (VASIMR) helicon plasma source

AU - Boswell, R. W.

AU - Sutherland, O.

AU - Charles, C.

AU - Squire, J. P.

AU - Díaz, F. R.Chang

AU - Glover, T. W.

AU - Jacobson, V. T.

AU - Chavers, D. G.

AU - Bengtson, R. D.

AU - Bering, E. A.

AU - Goulding, R. H.

AU - Light, M.

PY - 2004/11

Y1 - 2004/11

N2 - Decay waves have been observed in the megahertz range in the helium plasma generated by the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket magnetoplasma thruster. They are measured using one of the tips of a triple probe connected to a 50 Ω input of a spectrum analyzer via a dc block (a small capacitor). The maximum amplitude of all waves is in the center of the plasma and does not appear correlated to the radial electron density or temperature profiles. The waves seem to be generated close to the helicon antenna that was 91 cm "upstream" from the measuring Langmuir probe. A possible explanation is parametric decay of the large amplitude helicon wave that also generates the plasma.

AB - Decay waves have been observed in the megahertz range in the helium plasma generated by the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket magnetoplasma thruster. They are measured using one of the tips of a triple probe connected to a 50 Ω input of a spectrum analyzer via a dc block (a small capacitor). The maximum amplitude of all waves is in the center of the plasma and does not appear correlated to the radial electron density or temperature profiles. The waves seem to be generated close to the helicon antenna that was 91 cm "upstream" from the measuring Langmuir probe. A possible explanation is parametric decay of the large amplitude helicon wave that also generates the plasma.

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U2 - 10.1063/1.1803579

DO - 10.1063/1.1803579

M3 - Article

SN - 1070-664X

VL - 11

SP - 5125

EP - 5129

JO - Physics of Plasmas

JF - Physics of Plasmas

IS - 11

M1 - 5

ER -

Experimental evidence of parametric decay processes in the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket (VASIMR) helicon plasma source

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