Anode geometry influence on LaB 6 cathode discharge characteristics
Résumé
The characterization of an electric propulsion device cathode is performed in the so-called diode configuration with an external anode. The anode acts as a physical boundary for the cathode plasma discharge; therefore, it influences cathode operation and performances. In this study, four different anodes—namely, a disk, a plate, a long cylinder, and a short cylinder—have been used with a flat disk LaB6 emitter 5 A-class cathode to examine the anode geometry impact on cathode discharge properties. Current–voltage curves, discharge oscillations, electron parameters, and ion velocities have been measured for currents in the 2 A to 12 A range and xenon mass flow rates varied from 0.4 mg/s to 1 mg/s with a fixed cathode-to-anode distance. The set of results clearly supports the fact that the anode geometry strongly influences the cathode characteristics both at the macroscopic and the microscopic scale
Domaines
PlasmasOrigine | Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s) |
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