Bulletin of the American Physical Society
61st Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics
Volume 53, Number 15
Sunday–Tuesday, November 23–25, 2008; San Antonio, Texas
Session K2: Invited Session: The Physics of Spacecraft Hall-Effect Thrusters |
Hide Abstracts |
Chair: Paul Dimotakis, California Institute of Technology Room: 103B |
Monday, November 24, 2008 2:40PM - 3:15PM |
K2.00001: The Physics of Spacecraft Hall-Effect Thrusters Invited Speaker: The Hall-effect thruster (HET) is an advanced spacecraft propulsion system that uses electrical power provided by the spacecraft to generate thrust by ionizing and accelerating propellant to high velocities. HETs are now used in earth orbit for satellite propulsion and are being considered for a variety of missions in deep space. While HETs have been tested in laboratories for over forty years and first flew in space some thirty-five years ago, until recently, very little was known about the plasma inside these devices or the processes involved in the ionization and acceleration of propellant. This lack of knowledge led to the expensive trial-and-error approach practiced in HET development over the decades. The difficulty in collecting interior plasma data stems from the intense heat fluxes created by the plasma that makes traditional plasma diagnostics challenging to implement. My talk summarizes results of our research aimed at understanding fundamental plasma processes that occur in HET discharge channels, and shows how we have used this knowledge to gain a better understanding of HET physics and to advance the state-of-the-art in Hall-effect thruster technology. [Preview Abstract] |
Follow Us |
Engage
Become an APS Member |
My APS
Renew Membership |
Information for |
About APSThe American Physical Society (APS) is a non-profit membership organization working to advance the knowledge of physics. |
© 2024 American Physical Society
| All rights reserved | Terms of Use
| Contact Us
Headquarters
1 Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844
(301) 209-3200
Editorial Office
100 Motor Pkwy, Suite 110, Hauppauge, NY 11788
(631) 591-4000
Office of Public Affairs
529 14th St NW, Suite 1050, Washington, D.C. 20045-2001
(202) 662-8700