Space Vehicle Chemical Interactions and Technologies
Abstract
This report details basic physics/chemistry associated with electrospray propulsion technology, plasma processes in Hall effect thrusters, optical signatures of xenon plasmas, hyperthermal collisions of xenon ions, charge exchange cross sections of ion-atom and ion-molecule processes, and interactions of ion-thruster propellants with atmospheric species. The effect of propellant flow rate on the electrospray thruster performance is emphasized and molecular dynamics simulations are used to provide fundamental underpinnings of the microscopic behavior of the emission process. Differential cross sections related to large angle scattering of xenon ions after elastic collision with neutral atomic xenon are measured and discussed with an emphasis on transitioning the results to the modeling community. Emission excitation cross sections of xenon ion-xenon atom collisions, krypton ion-atom collisions and electron-krypton collisions are reported for energies relevant to electric propulsion systems. Total charge exchange cross sections, branching ratios, and energy analysis of krypton ion-krypton atom collisions and iodine (molecular and atomic) ions with molecular iodine are presented for energies relevant to electric propulsion systems. Interactions between ion thruster propellants and ammonia and atomic oxygen ions and ammonia are presented.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 26, 2015
- Accession Number
- ADA618702
Entities
People
- Benjamin D. Prince
- Raymond J Bemish
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory