Plasma oscillations below 100 kHz in a high-power, magnetically shielded Hall-effect thruster are characterized experimentally. A time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence diagnostic was used to measure the evolution of the axial ion velocity distribution along the discharge channel centerline. A method was developed to correct for artificial broadening of the distribution due to finite spatial resolution, enabling accurate ion temperature measurements in the acceleration region. Time-dependent ion heating behavior is revealed, which varies with axial location. Electrostatic, collisionless particle-pushing calculations were employed to simulate the effects of a shifting acceleration front on ion motion. It is found that ions exchange energy with these oscillations, which accounts for a portion of the ion velocity fluctuations observed in the thruster plume. Phasing relationships between ion dynamics and discharge current oscillations are discussed in the context of prior Hall thruster experiments.
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21 January 2022
Research Article|
January 18 2022
Impact of low-frequency oscillations on ion energy in a high-power magnetically shielded Hall thruster
Special Collection:
Physics of Electric Propulsion
Parker J. Roberts
;
Parker J. Roberts
a)
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
, Pasadena, California 91109, USA
a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]
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Vernon H. Chaplin
;
Vernon H. Chaplin
b)
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
, Pasadena, California 91109, USA
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Alejandro Lopez Ortega
;
Alejandro Lopez Ortega
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
, Pasadena, California 91109, USA
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Ioannis G. Mikellides
Ioannis G. Mikellides
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
, Pasadena, California 91109, USA
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a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]
b)
Electronic mail: [email protected]
Note: This paper is part of the Special Topic on Physics of Electric Propulsion.
J. Appl. Phys. 131, 033301 (2022)
Article history
Received:
August 16 2021
Accepted:
December 25 2021
Citation
Parker J. Roberts, Vernon H. Chaplin, Alejandro Lopez Ortega, Ioannis G. Mikellides; Impact of low-frequency oscillations on ion energy in a high-power magnetically shielded Hall thruster. J. Appl. Phys. 21 January 2022; 131 (3): 033301. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0067325
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