Search

There are a number of pressing problems mankind is facing today that could, at least in part, be resolved by space systems. These include capabilities for fast and far-reaching telecommunication, surveying of resources and climate, and sustaining global information networks, to name but a few. Not surprisingly, increasing efforts are now devoted to building a strong near-Earth satellite infrastructure, with plans to extend the sphere of active life to orbital space and, later, to the Moon and Mars if not further. The realization of these aspirations demands novel and more efficient means of propulsion. At present, it is not only the heavy launch systems that are fully reliant on thermodynamic principles for propulsion. Satellites and spacecraft still widely use gas-based thrusters or chemical engines as their primary means of propulsion. Nonetheless, similar to other transportation systems where the use of electrical platforms has expanded rapidly, space propulsion technologies are also experiencing a shift toward electric thrusters that do not feature the many limitations intrinsic to the thermodynamic systems. Most importantly, electric and plasma thrusters have a theoretical capacity to deliver virtually any impulse, the latter being ultimately limited by the speed of light. Rapid progress in the field driven by consolidated efforts from industry and academia has brought all-electric space systems closer to reality, yet there are still obstacles that need addressing before we can take full advantage of this promising family of propulsion technologies. In this paper, we briefly outline the most recent successes in the development of plasma-based space propulsion systems and present our view of future trends, opportunities, and challenges in this rapidly growing field.

We present measurements of the electron density, the effective electron temperature, the plasma potential, and the electron energy probability function (EEPF) in the plume of a 1.5 kW-class SPT-100 Hall thruster, derived from cylindrical Langmuir probe measurements. The measurements were taken on the plume axis at distances between 550 and 1550 mm from the thruster exit plane, and at different angles from the plume axis at 550 mm for three operating points of the thruster, characterized by different discharge voltages and mass flow rates. The bulk of the electron population can be approximated as a Maxwellian distribution, but the measured distributions were seen to decline faster at higher energy. The measured EEPFs were best modelled with a general EEPF with an exponent a between 1.2 and 1.5, and their axial and angular characteristics were studied for the different operating points of the thruster. As a result, the exponent a from the fitted distribution was seen to be almost constant as a function of the axial distance along the plume, as well as across the angles. However, the exponent a was seen to be affected by the mass flow rate, suggesting a possible relationship with the collision rate, especially close to the thruster exit. The ratio of the specific heats, the. factor, between the measured plasma parameters was found to be lower than the adiabatic value of 5/3 for each of the thruster settings, indicating the existence of non-trivial kinetic heat fluxes in the near collisionless plume. These results are intended to be used as input and/or testing properties for plume expansion models in further work., QC 20180111

Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics published the first Plasma Roadmap in 2012 consisting of the individual perspectives of 16 leading experts in the various sub-fields of low temperature plasma science and technology. The 2017 Plasma Roadmap is the first update of a planned series of periodic updates of the Plasma Roadmap. The continuously growing interdisciplinary nature of the low temperature plasma field and its equally broad range of applications are making it increasingly difficult to identify major challenges that encompass all of the many sub-fields and applications. This intellectual diversity is ultimately a strength of the field. The current state of the art for the 19 sub-fields addressed in this roadmap demonstrates the enviable track record of the low temperature plasma field in the development of plasmas as an enabling technology for a vast range of technologies that underpin our modern society. At the same time, the many important scientific and technological challenges shared in this roadmap show that the path forward is not only scientifically rich but has the potential to make wide and far reaching contributions to many societal challenges.

We describe an original setup named SCHEME (Source of exCited HydrogEn MolEcules) designed to study the recombinative desorption mechanisms of H atoms on a surface by means of high-brilliance monochromatic synchrotron radiation (SR). H atoms are produced on electrically heated filaments under vacuum (in the absence of any discharge) and subsequently recombine on a surface to produce excited hydrogen molecules, namely, H2(v″, J″). Once these levels are produced, they are probed in the vacuum chamber with 5-40 eV (248-31 nm) SR-photons. A preliminary test with Krypton has demonstrated the feasibility of SCHEME to obtain simultaneously VUV-synchrotron radiation induced fluorescence and VUV-absorption signals with room-temperature gas. In order to evaluate the hydrogen molecule dissociation induced by the heated filaments, the absolute density of H atoms has been measured by VUV-absorption. At 1800 K and 100 mTorr, we estimated a dissociation degree of 10-4, which corresponds to an absolute density of 1.8×1017 m-3. VUV-absorption spectroscopy is shown to be a valuable tool to detect H2(v″, J″) molecules up to v″ = 3. Possible improvements of the experimental setup, to detect higher v″ levels, are suggested in the end of this paper.

This joint experimental and theoretical project concerns rotating spoke phenomena in Hall thrusters. This is an international collaborative project between the CARE Institute (CNRS) in France, the High Performance Computing (HPC) group at the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University in Germany, and the Princeton Plasmas Physics Laboratory in the USA. The main objective of this joint project was to obtain a better understanding of spoke physics through careful experiments and accompanying numerical simulations. The main task was the investigation of the influence of the spoke on the ion flow and its role in thrust and specific impulse generation as well as on the accelerating potential in a Cylindrical Hall Thruster (CHT). We also examine the rotating spoke instability formation and dynamics such as frequency, shape, and mode number and the electron transport arising from the spoke., The original document contains color images.

In this paper the physics of plasma expansion in the rarefied regime is reviewed. Densities, temperatures, and velocity distributions in argon, hydrogen, and nitrogen expansions that have been measured using laser scattering and fluorescence techniques are compared. The velocity distributions in the region of the expansion where the density is below the background density show a bimodal character. It is interpreted in terms of a component expanding from the source and a component flowing into the plasma expansion from the periphery. Also in the shock of the expansion, bimodal velocity distributions are encountered. These distributions show the gradual change in the flow from supersonic to subsonic—the formation of the shock. From a comparison of the three expansions, a general view of the shock formation is derived. This new insight leads to a better understanding of how the chemical reactivity of the usually impenetrable, supersonic plasma can be used most efficiently.

An experimental setup is built to detect spatially resolved rovibrationally excited hydrogen molecules via laser-induced fluorescence. To excite the hydrogen molecules, laser radiation is produced in the vacuum UV part of the spectrum. The laser radiation is tunable between 120 nm and 230 nm and has a bandwith of 0.15 cm–1. The wavelength of the laser radiation is calibrated by simultaneous recording of the two-photon laser induced fluorescence spectrum of nitric oxide. The excited hydrogen populations are calibrated on the basis of coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering measurements. A population distribution is measured in the shock region of a pure hydrogen plasma expansion. The higher rotational levels (J>5) show overpopulation compared to a Boltzmann distribution determined from the lower rotational levels (J5).

The generation of ammonia from atomic hydrogen and nitrogen has been demonstrated by means of cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy. The atomic species are produced in a thermal plasma source in which plasma is created from mixtures of hydrogen and nitrogen. It is shown that for large atomic flux conditions, 2% of the hydrogen and nitrogen can be converted to ammonia. The process in which the ammonia molecules are formed from atomic radicals at the fully covered surface is called plasma-activated catalysis

We report on quantitative, spatially resolved density, temperature, and velocity measurements on ground-state atomic hydrogen in an expanding thermal Ar-H plasma using two-photon excitation laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). The method's diagnostic value for application in this plasma is assessed by identifying and evaluating the possibly disturbing factors on the interpretation of the LIF signal in terms of density, temperature, and velocity. In order to obtain quantitative density numbers, the LIF setup is calibrated for H measurements using two different methods. A commonly applied calibration method, in which the LIF signal from a, by titration, known amount of H generated by a flow-tube reactor is used as a reference, is compared to a rather new calibration method, in which the H density in the plasma jet is derived from a measurement of the two-photon LIF signal generated from krypton at a well-known pressure, using a known Kr to H detection sensitivity ratio. The two methods yield nearly the same result, which validates the new H density calibration. Gauging the new "rare gas method" by the "flow-tube reactor method," we find a krypton to hydrogen two-photon excitation cross section ratio sigma /sub Kr//sup (2)// sigma /sub H//sup (2)/ of 0.56, close to the reported value of 0.62. Since the H density calibration via two-photon LIF of krypton is experimentally far more easy than the one using a flow-tube reactor, it is foreseen that the "rare gas method" will become the method of choice in two-photon LIF experiments. The current two-photon LIF detection limit for H in the Ar-H plasma jet is 10/sup 15/ m/sup -3/. The accuracy of the density measurements depends on the accuracy of the calibration, which is currently limited to 33%. The reproducibility depends on the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio in the LIF measurements and is orders of magnitude better. The accuracy in the temperature determination also depends on the S/N ratio of the LIF signal and on the ratio be

The evolution of the ground-state hydrogen atom velocity distribution function throughout the stationary shock wave of a supersonic hydrogen plasma jet (3

The transport of ground-state atomic hydrogen in the expansion of a thermal plasma generated from an Ar-H/sub 2/ mixture is studied by means of laser-based diagnostic techniques. The flow of hydrogen atoms is investigated by two-photon excitation laser-induced fluorescence (LIF), whereas Ar atoms are probed by LIF as well as by UV Rayleigh scattering. The transport of Ar atoms can be fully understood in terms of a free jet flow; H atoms on the contrary exhibit an anomalous behavior. In the course of the plasma expansion, hydrogen atoms decouple from the argon fluid by a diffusion process as a direct consequence of recombination of H atoms at the vessel walls. In this contribution it is shown, on the basis of experimental results, how plasma-surface interactions can strongly influence the flow pattern of an atomic radical fluid. ©2001 The American Physical Society

The transport of ground-state hydrogen atoms in the expansion of a thermal hydrogen plasma created by a cascaded arc is studied by means of two-photon absorption laser induced fluorescence. The low-dissociation degree measured at the source exit implies that H atoms flow in a H/sub 2/ environment. It is shown that the H atom expansion pattern is in disagreement with the neutral gas supersonic expansion theory. Indeed the transport of H atoms in the plasma jet is strongly influenced by surface-recombination processes. Because of the large density gradients between the core of the jet and its surroundings induced by the recombination of H atoms at the reactor walls, hydrogen atoms diffuse out of the plasma jet in the course of the expansion. When the surface loss probability is high, i.e., the combination of a large wall-recombination probability with a long residence time, the losses of radicals by diffusion cannot be avoided even when the mass of the carrier gas is close to the mass of the radical

A two-photon laser-induced fluorescence study on the transport of ground-state atomic hydrogen in a supersonic plasma jet, generated from an Ar-H/sub 2/ mixture, reveals an unexpected shock pattern. Whereas both the axial-velocity profile and the temperature profile of hydrogen atoms along the jet centerline can be interpreted in terms of a supersonic expansion of an Ar-H gas mixture, the H-atom density profiles do not satisfy the well established Rankine-Hugoniot relation leading to a nonconservation of the forward flux. The experimental results show that H atoms escape from the supersonic expansion by a diffusion process due to strong density gradients between the core of the jet and its vicinity

Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics published the first Plasma Roadmap in 2012 consisting of the individual perspectives of 16 leading experts in the various sub-fields of low temperature plasma science and technology. The 2017 Plasma Roadmap is the first update of a planned series of periodic updates of the Plasma Roadmap. The continuously growing interdisciplinary nature of the low temperature plasma field and its equally broad range of applications are making it increasingly difficult to identify major challenges that encompass all of the many sub-fields and applications. This intellectual diversity is ultimately a strength of the field. The current state of the art for the 19 sub-fields addressed in this roadmap demonstrates the enviable track record of the low temperature plasma field in the development of plasmas as an enabling technology for a vast range of technologies that underpin our modern society. At the same time, the many important scientific and technological challenges shared in this roadmap show that the path forward is not only scientifically rich but has the potential to make wide and far reaching contributions to many societal challenges.

Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics published the first Plasma Roadmap in 2012 consisting of the individual perspectives of 16 leading experts in the various sub-fields of low temperature plasma science and technology. The 2017 Plasma Roadmap is the first update of a planned series of periodic updates of the Plasma Roadmap. The continuously growing interdisciplinary nature of the low temperature plasma field and its equally broad range of applications are making it increasingly difficult to identify major challenges that encompass all of the many sub-fields and applications. This intellectual diversity is ultimately a strength of the field. The current state of the art for the 19 sub-fields addressed in this roadmap demonstrates the enviable track record of the low temperature plasma field in the development of plasmas as an enabling technology for a vast range of technologies that underpin our modern society. At the same time, the many important scientific and technological challenges shared in this roadmap show that the path forward is not only scientifically rich but has the potential to make wide and far reaching contributions to many societal challenges.

Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics published the first Plasma Roadmap in 2012 consisting of the individual perspectives of 16 leading experts in the various sub-fields of low temperature plasma science and technology. The 2017 Plasma Roadmap is the first update of a planned series of periodic updates of the Plasma Roadmap. The continuously growing interdisciplinary nature of the low temperature plasma field and its equally broad range of applications are making it increasingly difficult to identify major challenges that encompass all of the many sub-fields and applications. This intellectual diversity is ultimately a strength of the field. The current state of the art for the 19 sub-fields addressed in this roadmap demonstrates the enviable track record of the low temperature plasma field in the development of plasmas as an enabling technology for a vast range of technologies that underpin our modern society. At the same time, the many important scientific and technological challenges shared in this roadmap show that the path forward is not only scientifically rich but has the potential to make wide and far reaching contributions to many societal challenges., I Adamovich et al 2017 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 50 323001

I Adamovich et al 2017 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 50 323001, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics published the first Plasma Roadmap in 2012 consisting of the individual perspectives of 16 leading experts in the various sub-fields of low temperature plasma science and technology. The 2017 Plasma Roadmap is the first update of a planned series of periodic updates of the Plasma Roadmap. The continuously growing interdisciplinary nature of the low temperature plasma field and its equally broad range of applications are making it increasingly difficult to identify major challenges that encompass all of the many sub-fields and applications. This intellectual diversity is ultimately a strength of the field. The current state of the art for the 19 sub-fields addressed in this roadmap demonstrates the enviable track record of the low temperature plasma field in the development of plasmas as an enabling technology for a vast range of technologies that underpin our modern society. At the same time, the many important scientific and technological challenges shared in this roadmap show that the path forward is not only scientifically rich but has the potential to make wide and far reaching contributions to many societal challenges.