Potentialities of Electron Bombardment Ion Engines for Electric Propulsion

This paper discusses the expected performance of electron bombardment ion sources when used for electrostatic propulsion. Two particular sources, the duoplasmatron and the Penning Ion source, are examined in some detail and suggestions are made on how their performance for application with electric thrust devices could be improved. It is concluded that electron bombardment sources may offer some advantages over surface contact engines if ways can be found to significantly improve their propellant utilization.