Spectroscopic characterization of FMT2 discharge ionization processes

Author

Smith, T.B. ; Williams, G.J. ; Gallimore, Alec D.

Author_Institution

Plasmadynamics & Electr. Propulsion Lab., Michigan Univ., Ann Arbor, MI, USA

fYear

2000

fDate

4-7 June 2000

Firstpage

188

Abstract

Summary form only given. Discharge cathode erosion, a major failure mechanism for ion engines, is fundamentally interconnected with ionization processes. Three-component laser induced fluorescence (LIF) and emission spectroscopy measurements downstream of the FMT-2 ion engine characterize these processes with and without a keeper electrode. Emission spectroscopy provides temporally well-resolved, line-of-sight-integrated relative density for neutral (Xe I), singly-ionized (Xe II) and doubly-ionized (Xe III) xenon. LIF signal strength provides spatially well-resolved, time-integrated relative density. Correlation of both measurements with beam current provides absolute density for all three species.

Keywords

discharges (electric); fluorescence; ionisation; plasma diagnostics; FMT-2 ion engine; FMT2 discharge; LIF signal strength; Xe; Xe I; Xe II; Xe III; beam current; discharge cathode erosion; emission spectroscopy; failure mechanism; ion engines; ionization processes; keeper electrode; spatially well-resolved time-integrated relative density; spectroscopic characterization; temporally well-resolved line-of-sight-integrated relative density; three-component laser induced fluorescence; Cathodes; Current measurement; Density measurement; Electrodes; Engines; Failure analysis; Fluorescence; Ionization; Spectroscopy; Xenon;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Plasma Science, 2000. ICOPS 2000. IEEE Conference Record - Abstracts. The 27th IEEE International Conference on

Conference_Location

New Orleans, LA, USA

ISSN

0730-9244

Print_ISBN

0-7803-5982-8

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/PLASMA.2000.854982

Filename

854982