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Plume detachment from a magnetic nozzle

Phys. Plasmas 16, 033502 (2009); doi:10.1063/1.3080206

Published 12 March 2009

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Christopher A. Deline,1 Roger D. Bengtson,2 Boris N. Breizman,2 Mikhail R. Tushentsov,2 Jonathan E. Jones,3 D. Greg Chavers,3 Chris C. Dobson,3 and Branwen M. Schuettpelz4
1University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
2Institute for Fusion Studies, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
3Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama 35805, USA
4University of Alabama at Huntsville, Huntsville, Alabama 35899, USA
High-powered electric propulsion thrusters utilizing a magnetized plasma require that plasma exhaust detach from the applied magnetic field in order to produce thrust. This paper presents experimental results demonstrating that a sufficiently energetic and flowing plasma can indeed detach from a magnetic nozzle. Microwave interferometer and probe measurements provide plume density, electron temperature, and ion flux measurements in the nozzle region. Measurements of ion flux show a low-beta plasma plume which follows applied magnetic field lines until the plasma kinetic pressure reaches the magnetic pressure and a high-beta plume expanding ballistically afterward. Several magnetic configurations were tested including a reversed field nozzle configuration. Despite the dramatic change in magnetic field profile, the reversed field configuration yielded little measurable change in plume trajectory, demonstrating the plume is detached. Numerical simulations yield density profiles in agreement with the experimental results. ©2009 American Institute of Physics
History: Received 29 December 2008; accepted 16 January 2009; published 12 March 2009
Permalink: http://link.aip.org/link/?PHPAEN/16/033502/1
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KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords
PACS
  • 52.65.Kj
    Magnetohydrodynamic and fluid equation (plasma simulation)
  • 52.70.Ds
    Electric and magnetic plasma diagnostic measurements
  • 52.30.Cv
    Plasma magnetohydrodynamics
  • 52.77.-j
    Plasma applications
  • YEAR: 2009

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PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN:
1070-664X (print)   1089-7674 (online)
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