Development of a Plasma Source for a Vacuum Arc Thruster Controlled by a Microcontroller

A plasma source for vacuum arc thruster was developed. Electrical energy stored in two resonators is delivered to a vacuum gap and metal ions are emitted from the electrodes. The ions obtain momentum and the thruster obtains thrust power from reaction of ions. A high frequency (HF) current was used to generate energetic ions in spark phase, and a low frequency (LF) current was intended to heat electrodes in the course of repetitive discharge, producing a large amount of ions having low energy from the bulk of electrodes. The duration of the HF and LF current is controlled by a combination of microcontroller, variable reactor (varactor) and fast switching devices