Transport properties of plasmas in microwave electrothermal thrusters. Master's thesis

Technical Report · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6823287

Haraburda, S S

The microwave electrothermal thruster is a potential propulsion system for spacecraft applications such as platform station keeping. It is a thruster which allows no contact between the electrodes and the propellant. For this thruster, the electromagnetic energy is transferred to the electrons in the plasma region of the propellant using the TM011 and TM012 modes of a microwave cavity system. The collisional processes by the electrons with the propellant causes transfer of the energy. Work was done to study these processes using several diagnostic techniques - calorimetry, photography, and spectroscopy. Experimental results of these techniques for nitrogen and helium gases are included. These diagnostic techniques are important in understanding plasma phenomena and designing practical plasma rocket thrusters. In addition, a broad theoretical background is included to provide a fundamental description of the plasma phenomena.

• Research Organization: Army Military Personnel Center, Alexandria, VA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6823287
• Report Number(s): AD-A-219408/2/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
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75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CALORIMETRY
CAVITIES
COLLISIONS
DESIGN
ELECTRICITY
ELECTRODES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY TRANSFER
EQUIPMENT
FERMIONS
FLUIDS
GASES
HELIUM
LEPTONS
MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
PHOTOGRAPHY
PLASMA
POWER GENERATION
PROPULSION SYSTEMS
RADIATIONS
RARE GASES
ROCKETS
SPACE VEHICLES
SPECTROSCOPY
THERMOELECTRICITY
THRUSTERS
TRANSPORT THEORY
VEHICLES