Ane Aanesland

Electric propulsion using ion-ion plasmas

Recently, we have proposed to use both positive and negative ions for thrust in an electromagnetic space propulsion system. This concept is called PEGASES for Plasma Propulsion with Electronegative GASES and has been patented by the Ecole Polytechnique in France in 2007. The basic idea is to create a stratified plasma with an electron free (ion-ion plasma) region at the periphery of a highly ionized plasma core such that both positive and negative ions can be extracted and accelerated to provide thrust. As the extracted beam is globally neutral there is no need for a downstream neutralizer. The recombination of positive and negative ions is very efficient and will result in a fast recombination downstream of the thruster and hence there is no creation of a plasma plume downstream. The first PEGASES prototype, designed in 2007, has recently been installed in a small vacuum chamber for preliminary tests in our laboratory and the first results have been presented in several conferences. This paper reviews important work that has been used in the process of designing the first PEGASES prototype.

Electron energy distribution function and plasma parameters across magnetic filters

The electron energy distribution function (EEDF) is measured across a magnetic filter in inductively coupled plasmas. The measured EEDFs are found to be Maxwellian in the elastic energy range with the corresponding electron temperature monotonously decreasing along the positive gradient of the magnetic field. At the maximum of the magnetic field, the electron temperature reaches its minimum and remains nearly constant in the area of the negative gradient of the field, where the plasma density distribution exhibits a local minimum.

Direct measurements of neutral density depletion by two-photon absorption laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy

The ground state density of xenon atoms has been measured by spatially resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy with two-photon excitation in the diffusion chamber of a magnetized Helicon plasma. This technique allows the authors to directly measure the relative variations of the xenon atom density without any assumptions. A significant neutral gas density depletion was measured in the core of the magnetized plasma, in agreement with previous theoretical and experimental works. It was also found that the neutral gas density was depleted near the radial walls.

Particle-in-cell simulation of an electronegative plasma under direct current bias studied in a large range of electronegativity

A one-dimensional electronegative plasma situated between two symmetrical parallel electrodes under DC bias is studied by Particle-In-Cell simulation with Monte Carlo Collisions. By varying the electronegativity α≡n−/ne from the limit of electron-ion plasmas (negative ion free) to ion-ion plasmas (electron free), the sheaths formation, the negative ion flux flowing towards the electrodes, and the particle velocities at the sheath edges are investigated. Depending on α, it is shown that the electronegative plasma behavior can be described by four regimes. In the lowest regime of α, i.e., α < 50, negative ions are confined by two positive sheaths within the plasma, while in the higher regimes of α, a negative sheath is formed and the negative ion flux can be extracted from the bulk plasma. In the two intermediate regimes of α, i.e., 50 < α < 105, both the electron and the negative ion fluxes are involved in the neutralization of the positive ions flux that leaves the plasma. In particular, we show that the ...

Alternate extraction and acceleration of positive and negative ions from a gridded plasma source

By applying a square-wave voltage with frequencies between 10 kHz to 1 MHz to a set of grids terminating an ion–ion plasma source, we experimentally demonstrate the alternate extraction and acceleration of high energy (hundreds of eV) positive and negative ion beams. In addition, the ratio of positive-to-negative ion beam current can be controlled by adjusting the applied square-wave duty cycle. Temporally resolved floating potential measurements of a target show that the downstream potential can be controlled and sufficiently reduced at high applied frequencies (~200 kHz), indicating that space-charge compensation can be achieved to prevent beam stalling.

Langmuir probe analysis in electronegative plasmas

This paper compares two methods to analyze Langmuir probe data obtained in electronegative plasmas. The techniques are developed to allow investigations in plasmas, where the electronegativity α0u2009=u2009n–/ne (the ratio between the negative ion and electron densities) varies strongly. The first technique uses an analytical model to express the Langmuir probe current-voltage (I-V) characteristic and its second derivative as a function of the electron and ion densities (ne, n+, n–), temperatures (Te, T+, T–), and masses (me, m+, m–). The analytical curves are fitted to the experimental data by adjusting these variables and parameters. To reduce the number of fitted parameters, the ion masses are assumed constant within the source volume, and quasi-neutrality is assumed everywhere. In this theory, Maxwellian distributions are assumed for all charged species. We show that this data analysis can predict the various plasma parameters within 5–10%, including the ion temperatures when α0u2009>u2009100. However, the method is ...

Dynamics of neutral gas depletion investigated by time- and space-resolved measurements of xenon atom ground state density

The dynamics of neutral gas depletion in high-density plasmas is investigated by time- and space-resolved measurements of the xenon ground state density. Two-photon absorbed laser induced fluorescence experiments were carried out in a helicon reactor operating at 10xa0mTorr in xenon gas. When the plasma is magnetized, a plasma column is formed from the bottom of the chamber up to the pumping region. In this situation it is found that two phenomena, with different time scales, are responsible for the neutral gas depletion. The magnetized plasma column is ignited in a short (millisecond) time scale leading to a neutral gas depletion at the discharge centre and to an increase of neutral gas density at the reactor walls. This is explained both by neutral gas heating and by the rise of the plasma pressure at the discharge centre. Then, on a much longer (second) time scale, the overall neutral gas density in the reactor decreases due to higher pumping efficiency when the magnetized plasma column is ignited. The pumping enhancement is not observed when the plasma is not magnetized, probably because in this case the dense plasma column vanishes and the plasma is more localized near the antenna.

Response of an ion?ion plasma to dc biased electrodes

Electronegative plasmas are plasmas containing a significant fraction of negative ions, when magnetized they are very often segregated: the core is electropositive or weakly electronegative whereas a highly electronegative plasma forms at the periphery. At strong magnetic fields this segregation can lead to the formation of ion?ion plasmas almost free of electrons close to the walls or extraction surfaces and allows access to both positive and negative ions. The PEGASES thruster aims at alternately extracting and accelerating positive and negative ions from the ion?ion plasma region to provide thrust by both types of ions. The acceleration schemes depend on the possible control of the potential in an ion?ion plasma relative to the acceleration grids. In this paper continuous extraction and acceleration of positive ions from the PEGASES thruster is investigated by a retarding field energy analyser. It is shown from the measured ion energy distribution functions that the continuous acceleration potential can be controlled by biasing bare electrodes in contact with the region of the plasma with high electron density (i.e. the weakly electronegative plasma core). A grounded grid placed in the ion?ion region allows consequently the acceleration of positive ions, where the ion velocity is controlled by the bias applied to the electrodes in the plasma core. In contrast, when the grid in the ion?ion region is biased, positive ion beams are not detected downstream of the grid. The results indicate that biasing a grid positively in the ion?ion region may result in an electronegative space-charge sheath in front of the grid, which traps the positive ions inside the thruster.

E × B probe measurements in molecular and electronegative plasmas

This paper reports on the design, the building, the calibration, and the use of a compact E × B probe that acts as a velocity filter or a mass filter for ion species. A series of measurements has been performed in the discharge and in the beam of the PEGASES (Plasma Propulsion with Electronegative GASES) ion source. PEGASES is a unique inductively coupled radio-frequency source able to generate a beam of positive and negative ions when operated with an electronegative gas. In this study, experiments have been carried out with SF6. Calibrated E × B probe spectra indicate that the diagnostic tool can be used to determine the ion velocity and the plasma composition even when many molecular fragments are present. In addition, the probe is able to detect both positive and negative ions. Measurements show a large variety of positively charged ions coming from SF6. Conversely, the beam is solely composed of F(-) and SF6(-) negative ions in compliance with computer simulations.

Time dependent behaviors of ion-ion plasmas exposed to various voltage waveforms in the kilohertz to megahertz frequency range

An ion-ion plasma, situated between two parallel electrodes, is studied with the use of a time dependent one-dimensional particle-in-cell Monte-Carlo collisions model. This plasma consists of only positively and negatively singly charged ions with the same order of mass and temperature (the electron density is zero). The right electrode is grounded, and the left electrode is biased with a voltage waveform varying from sinusoidal to square with the frequency in the kHz to MHz range. The sheath evolution and the particle flux towards the electrodes, as a function of both space and time, are investigated for the various waveforms and frequencies. The sheath evolution has a strong influence on the time averaged ion energy distribution function (IEDF). The IEDF is broad with a low energy tail for low frequency sinusoidal biases (25kHz) while peaked at low energy for higher frequencies (2 MHz). For square waveforms, the IEDF is mono-energetic with some broadening when the rise time is faster than the typical time to establish the steady state sheath formation (<0.3ls). V C 2012 American Institute of Physics .[ http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4762855]