Title :
Xenon Ion Beam Detachment From a Helicon Double Layer Thruster
Author :
Gesto, Fernando ; Charles, Christine ; Boswell, Rod
Author_Institution :
Plasma Res. Lab., Australian Nat. Univ., Canberra, ACT
Abstract :
Ion magnetic detachment in the helicon double layer thruster exhaust beam is studied by calculating the orbits of the ions accelerated by the double layer and analyzing the curvature of the trajectories in the diverging magnetic field. An image of the detachment flux surface is presented for standard operating conditions, where a xenon ion beam has been experimentally observed. The results of the simulation are compared with that of the experiment.
Keywords :
helicons; plasma accelerators; plasma magnetohydrodynamics; plasma sheaths; plasma simulation; plasma transport processes; xenon; Xe; detachment flux surface; diverging magnetic field; helicon double layer thruster exhaust beam; ion acceleration; ion magnetic detachment; ion orbits; trajectory curvature; xenon ion beam detachment; Acceleration; Australia; Ion beams; Magnetic analysis; Orbits; Particle beams; Plasma accelerators; Plasma simulation; Propulsion; Xenon; Ion beams; plasma engines; propulsion;
Journal_Title :
Plasma Science, IEEE Transactions on
DOI :
10.1109/TPS.2008.924424
