In this paper the results of a project concerning the ultraviolet UV imaging of a plasma for space applications, produced in a magneto-plasmadynamic MPD thruster, are presented. MPD are a class of high-power electric space propulsion devices that accelerate a plasma to high velocities >10 km/ s, by exploiting the Lorentz force. This force arises from the interaction between the discharge electrical current and a self induced and externally applied magnetic field. The imaging system has been realized by inserting three arrays of UV enhanced photodiodes directly into the plastic structure of the anode. The amplifiers are miniaturized and built into the detector. This advanced diagnostic design allows for a detailed tomographic reconstruction of the emissivity spatial structure, both in the axial direction z corresponding to a wave number n and azimuthal direction wave number m with high time resolution. A magneto-hydrodynamic instability, with mode numbers m=1 and n=1 has been observed, which might affect the performances of the thruster.
Ultraviolet tomography of kink dynamics in a magnetoplasmadynamic thruster
PAGANUCCI, FABRIZIO;ANDRENUCCI, MARIANO;
2005-01-01
Abstract
In this paper the results of a project concerning the ultraviolet UV imaging of a plasma for space applications, produced in a magneto-plasmadynamic MPD thruster, are presented. MPD are a class of high-power electric space propulsion devices that accelerate a plasma to high velocities >10 km/ s, by exploiting the Lorentz force. This force arises from the interaction between the discharge electrical current and a self induced and externally applied magnetic field. The imaging system has been realized by inserting three arrays of UV enhanced photodiodes directly into the plastic structure of the anode. The amplifiers are miniaturized and built into the detector. This advanced diagnostic design allows for a detailed tomographic reconstruction of the emissivity spatial structure, both in the axial direction z corresponding to a wave number n and azimuthal direction wave number m with high time resolution. A magneto-hydrodynamic instability, with mode numbers m=1 and n=1 has been observed, which might affect the performances of the thruster.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
