Title :
Modeling of a helicon plasma source
Author :
Batishchev, O. ; Molvig, K.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Nucl. Eng., MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
Abstract :
A helicon gas discharge is used in the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) to initiate plasmas. The overall performance of the VASIMR thruster depends upon the efficiency of the helicon plasma source. A set of various models is proposed to facilitate our understanding of recent experimental data. These models range from 0-D plasma-chemistry model of the discharge to more elaborate fully kinetic models of neutral gas and plasma dynamics under typical VASIMR thruster conditions.
Keywords :
discharges (electric); plasma chemistry; plasma kinetic theory; plasma production; VASIMR; Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket; helicon plasma source; kinetic model; neutral gas; plasma dynamics; plasma-chemistry model; thruster; Atom optics; Electron mobility; Fault location; Hydrogen; Ionization; Plasma density; Plasma sources; Plasma temperature; Plasma transport processes; Plasma waves;
Conference_Titel :
Pulsed Power Plasma Science, 2001. PPPS-2001. Digest of Technical Papers
Conference_Location :
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-7120-8
DOI :
10.1109/PPPS.2001.1002007
