Abstract
Hall thrusters provide efficient space propulsion by electrostatic acceleration of ions. Rotating electron clouds in the thruster overcome the space charge limitations of other methods. Images of the thruster start-up, taken with a fast camera, reveal a bright ionization period which settles into steady-state operation over 50 μs. The cathode introduces azimuthal asymmetry, which persists for about 30 μs into the ignition.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 5741860 |
Pages (from-to) | 2950-2951 |
Number of pages | 2 |
Journal | IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science |
Volume | 39 |
Issue number | 11 PART 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 2011 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Nuclear and High Energy Physics
- Condensed Matter Physics
Keywords
- Plasma devices
- plasma diagnostics