Time-Synchronized CW-Laser Induced Fluorescence Velocity Measurements of a Diverging Cusped Field Thruster

Abstract

As the satellite community attempts to reduce spacecraft size and cost, scaling of appropriate propulsion devices such as Hall thrusters has become of particular interest. Alongside the development of new propulsion technologies comes the need for advanced diagnostic capabilities to understand the dynamics of thruster operation. This work describes the implementation and continued use of a time-synchronized method of Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF) velocimetry. The time-synchronized LIF method is applied to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed Diverging Cusped Field Thruster (DCFT) in an effort to better understand ion acceleration mechanism.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2013
Accession Number
ADA597275

Entities

People

  • Landon J. Tango
  • Mark Cappelli
  • Natalia A. Macdonald
  • William A. Hargus

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Air Platforms
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Amplifiers
  • Detection
  • Dye Lasers
  • Electric Fields
  • Electric Propulsion
  • Fluorescence
  • Hall Thrusters
  • Laser Applications
  • Laser Induced Fluorescence
  • Laser Spectroscopy
  • Lasers
  • Liquid Dye Lasers
  • Measurement
  • Military Research
  • Thrusters

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Aerospace Propulsion Engineering.
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster