Operating the helicon double layer thruster in a space simulation chamber

Christine Charles; Rod Boswell; Peter Alexander; Costanzo Costa; Orson Sutherland; Leigh Pfitzner; Roger Franzen; Jeff Kingwell; Andrew Parfitt; Pierre Etienne Frigot; Jose Del Amo; Georgio Saccoccia

doi:10.1109/TPS.2008.924425

Operating the helicon double layer thruster in a space simulation chamber

Christine Charles^*, Rod Boswell, Peter Alexander, Costanzo Costa, Orson Sutherland, Leigh Pfitzner, Roger Franzen, Jeff Kingwell, Andrew Parfitt, Pierre Etienne Frigot, Jose Del Amo, Georgio Saccoccia

^*Corresponding author for this work

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

17 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A prototype of the helicon double layer thruster (HDLT) is designed and manufactured. Initial tests with the thruster mounted on a small vacuum chamber (pumping speed of 700 1 · s^-1) show successful operation in xenon with the formation of the double layer which generates a low divergence ion beam, which is the source of thrust. The prototype is subsequently inserted inside a much larger space simulation chamber (pumping speed of 7000 1 · s^-1). A high-density blue mode is found when increasing the RF power above 380 W, and measurements with a Langmuir probe give an estimated density of 10¹² cm^-3 in the thruster. An image of the HDLT operating in the high-density blue mode is presented.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1196-1197
Number of pages	2
Journal	IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science
Volume	36
Issue number	4 PART 1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/TPS.2008.924425
Publication status	Published - Aug 2008

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title = "Operating the helicon double layer thruster in a space simulation chamber",

abstract = "A prototype of the helicon double layer thruster (HDLT) is designed and manufactured. Initial tests with the thruster mounted on a small vacuum chamber (pumping speed of 700 1 · s-1) show successful operation in xenon with the formation of the double layer which generates a low divergence ion beam, which is the source of thrust. The prototype is subsequently inserted inside a much larger space simulation chamber (pumping speed of 7000 1 · s-1). A high-density blue mode is found when increasing the RF power above 380 W, and measurements with a Langmuir probe give an estimated density of 1012 cm-3 in the thruster. An image of the HDLT operating in the high-density blue mode is presented.",

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author = "Christine Charles and Rod Boswell and Peter Alexander and Costanzo Costa and Orson Sutherland and Leigh Pfitzner and Roger Franzen and Jeff Kingwell and Andrew Parfitt and Frigot, {Pierre Etienne} and {Del Amo}, Jose and Georgio Saccoccia",

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AU - Charles, Christine

AU - Boswell, Rod

AU - Alexander, Peter

AU - Costa, Costanzo

AU - Sutherland, Orson

AU - Pfitzner, Leigh

AU - Franzen, Roger

AU - Kingwell, Jeff

AU - Parfitt, Andrew

AU - Frigot, Pierre Etienne

AU - Del Amo, Jose

AU - Saccoccia, Georgio

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AB - A prototype of the helicon double layer thruster (HDLT) is designed and manufactured. Initial tests with the thruster mounted on a small vacuum chamber (pumping speed of 700 1 · s-1) show successful operation in xenon with the formation of the double layer which generates a low divergence ion beam, which is the source of thrust. The prototype is subsequently inserted inside a much larger space simulation chamber (pumping speed of 7000 1 · s-1). A high-density blue mode is found when increasing the RF power above 380 W, and measurements with a Langmuir probe give an estimated density of 1012 cm-3 in the thruster. An image of the HDLT operating in the high-density blue mode is presented.

KW - Acceleration

KW - Australia

KW - Corona

KW - Ion beams

KW - Plasma engines

KW - Plasmas

KW - Probes

KW - Propulsion

KW - Prototypes

KW - Space technology

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SP - 1196

EP - 1197

JO - IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science

JF - IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science

IS - 4 PART 1

ER -

Operating the helicon double layer thruster in a space simulation chamber

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