In most expanding-plasma thrusters, ion acceleration occurs due to the formation of ambipolar-type electric fields; a process that depends strongly on the electron dynamics of the discharge. The electron properties also determine the heat flux leaving the thruster as well as the maximum ion energy, which are important parameters for the evaluation of thruster performance. Here we perform an experimental and theoretical investigation with both magnetized, and unmagnetized, low-pressure thrusters to explicitly determine the relationship between the ion energy, E i , and the electron temperature, T e0 . With no magnetic field a relatively constant value ofis found for xenon, while when a magnetic nozzle is present, E T / i e0 is between about 4-5. These values are shown to be a function of both the magnetic field strength, as well as the electron energy distribution function, which changes significantly depending on the mass flow rate (and hence neutral gas pressure) used in the thruster. The relationship between the ion energy and electron temperature allows estimates to be made for polytropic indices of use in a number of fluid models, as well as estimates of the upper limits to the performance of these types of systems, which for xenon and argon result in maximum specific impulses of about 2500 s and 4500 s respectively.

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Analytical and experimental study on the fluid structure interaction during air blast loading Thermal model of nanosecond pulsed laser ablation:Analysis of energy and mass transfer J. Appl. Phys. 97, 014307 (2005); 10.1063/1.1827321Eu's generalized hydrodynamics as the basis of a new computational model for rarefied and microscale gas dynamics AIP Conf.

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The plasma-induced magnetic field in an electron cyclotron resonance plasma thruster is measured non-intrusively by means of a diamagnetic loop that encloses the plasma flow. The calibration process is described, and parasitic currents in the thruster walls and plasma oscillations are identified as the dominant sources of uncertainty. The integrated magnetic flux is seen to depend on the applied power and less significantly on the mass flow rate. The effect of the diamagnetic loop radius is also studied by testing two loops of different diameters. To estimate the perpendicular electron pressure in the plasma from the loop measurements, two plasma beam models, 1D and 2D, are used. While both models give similar results for the small loop, they differ significantly for the large loop, showing the relevance of 2D effects when a large diamagnetic loop is used.

We show that an embarked intense femtosecond laser can substantially reduce the drag experienced by a supersonic object.

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