An experimental investigation of alternative propellants for the helicon double layer thruster
An experimental investigation of alternative propellants for the helicon double layer thruster
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螺旋双层推进器替代推进剂的实验研究
DOI：
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发表时间：
2008
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
P. MacLellan
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
C. Charles;R. Boswell;R. Lainé;P. MacLellan
使用位于螺旋双层等离子体源下游 7.5cm 处的减速场能量分析仪测量离子能量分布函数，分别使用四种分子气体：氮气 (N2)、甲烷 (CH4)、氨 (NH3) 和一氧化二氮 (N2O)。对于几百瓦的射频功率，以及从源中约 0.013 T (130 G) 到排气中约 0.001 T (10 G) 的磁场，在非常相似的工作压力范围（∼0.023 Pa (0.17 mTorr) 至～0.267 Pa (2 mTorr))，由于自发双电层 等离子源出口附近形成。离子束的特性与工作压力的关系与之前在氩气、氙气和氢气中获得的特性非常相似。空间中的离子束排气速度在 N2 中为 17–19km s−1 范围，在 CH4 和 NH3 中为 21–27km s−1 范围，在 N2O 中为 14–16km s−1 范围。
Ion energy distribution functions are measured using a retarding field energy analyser located 7.5 cm downstream of a helicon double layer plasma source, respectively, operating with four molecular gases: nitrogen (N2), methane (CH4), ammonia (NH3) and nitrous oxide (N2O). For radiofrequency powers of a few hundred watts, and a magnetic field diverging from about 0.013 T (130 G) in the source to about 0.001 T (10 G) in the exhaust, an ion beam is detected for each propellant over a very similar operating pressure range (∼0.023 Pa (0.17 mTorr) to ∼0.267 Pa (2 mTorr)), as a result of spontaneous electric double layer formation near the exit of the plasma source. The characteristics of the ion beam versus operating pressure closely follow those previously obtained in argon, xenon and hydrogen. The ion beam exhaust velocity in space is found to be in the 17–19 km s−1 range in N2, 21–27 km s−1 range in CH4 and NH3 and 14–16 km s−1 range in N2O.