Probing xenon atoms and ions velocity in the magnetic nozzle of a helicon plasma thruster - Archive ouverte HAL Accéder directement au contenu
Communication Dans Un Congrès Année : 2022

Probing xenon atoms and ions velocity in the magnetic nozzle of a helicon plasma thruster

A E Vinci
  • Fonction : Auteur
Marco R Inchingolo
  • Fonction : Auteur
Víctor Gómez
  • Fonction : Auteur
Pablo Fajardo
  • Fonction : Auteur
Jaume Navarro-Cavallé
  • Fonction : Auteur

Résumé

The dynamics of atoms and ions expanding in the magnetic nozzle of a Helicon plasma thruster is experimentally studied by means of near-infrared laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy and a retarding potential analyzer. The two techniques are compared in measuring Xe and Kr ion velocity for different thruster working parameters. Fluorescence spectra are recorded for several operating conditions inside and outside the thruster discharge chamber. In the near-field plume, the relatively intense magnetic field induces the Zeeman effect on the probed optical transitions. Hence, modeling of the atomic lineshapes is addressed to accurately compute the Doppler shift and infer the velocity. The first direct measurements of the neutral flow in a magnetic nozzle reveal that atoms are accelerated to supersonic velocities downstream the thruster exit. The ions acceleration region extends several centimeters downstream the exit plane. Larger axial ion speeds are attained when the thruster operates at lower mass flow rates and higher levels of input power.
Fichier principal
Vignette du fichier
2022_IEPC_484 LIFinMN.pdf (4.75 Mo) Télécharger le fichier
Origine Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s)

Dates et versions

hal-03797333 , version 1 (04-10-2022)

Identifiants

  • HAL Id : hal-03797333 , version 1

Citer

A E Vinci, Stéphane Mazouffre, Marco R Inchingolo, Víctor Gómez, Pablo Fajardo, et al.. Probing xenon atoms and ions velocity in the magnetic nozzle of a helicon plasma thruster. 37th International Electric Propulsion Conference, Jun 2022, Boston, United States. ⟨hal-03797333⟩
47 Consultations
23 Téléchargements

Partager

Gmail Mastodon Facebook X LinkedIn More