Initial experiments of a new permanent magnet helicon thruster

A new design for a permanent magnet helicon thruster is presented. Its small plasma volume (~10 cm³) and low power requirements (<;100 W) make it ideal for propelling nanosatellites (<;10 kg). The magnetic field reached a maximum of 500 G in the throat of a converging-diverging nozzle and decreased to 0.5 G, the strength of earth´s magnetic field, within 50 cm allowing the entire exhaust plume to develop in the vacuum chamber without being affected by the chamber walls. Low gas flow rates (~4 sccm) and high pumping speeds (~10,000 l/s) were used to more closely approximate the conditions of space. A parametric study of the thruster operational parameters was performed to determine its capabilities as both a thruster and as a plasma source for magnetic nozzle experiments. The plasma density, electron temperature, and plasma potential were measured in the plume to characterize the ion acceleration mechanism.