[Table of Contents]

Plasma and Fusion Research

Volume 6, 2406103 (2011)

Regular Articles


Scaling Laws of Lissajous Acceleration for Electrodeless Helicon Plasma Thruster
Takeshi MATSUOKA, Ikkoh FUNAKI, Takahiro NAKAMURA1), Kenji YOKOI1), Hiroyuki NISHIDA2), Timofei S. RUDENKO3), Konstantin P. SHAMRAI3), Takao TANIKAWA4), Tohru HADA5) and Shunjiro SHINOHARA2)
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Sagamihara Cyuouku, Kanagawa 252-5210, Japan
1)
Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
2)
Institute of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
3)
Institute for Nuclear Research, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 47 Prospect Nauki, Kiev 03680, Ukraine
4)
Research Institute of Science and Technology, Tokai University, 4-1-1 Kitakaname, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa 259-1292, Japan
5)
Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, 6-1 Kasuga Koen, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580, Japan
(Received 7 December 2010 / Accepted 4 March 2011 / Published 11 August 2011)

Abstract

Analytical thrust model for the Lissajous Helicon Plasma Accelerator (LHPA) is developed by extending previous works [1, 2] in order to guide experiments for achieving feasible value of the thrust. In the LHPA, a rotating transverse electric field in an external divergent magnetic field drives azimuthal currents via electron E × B drift then the thrust is produced due to the Lorentz force. One dimensional (1D) analytical model is developed which includes the electric field penetration into the plasma and the E × B current estimation based on a trajectory analysis. Thrust as a function of parameters of the plasma density and the magnetic field is studied. The penetration of the electrical field into plasmas is examined by 1D particle in cell (PIC) simulations whose results are consistent with those of the 1D analytical model.


Keywords

Electrodeless thruster, Electric propulsion, Helicon plasma, Analytical model, PIC simulation

DOI: 10.1585/pfr.6.2406103


References

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This paper may be cited as follows:

Takeshi MATSUOKA, Ikkoh FUNAKI, Takahiro NAKAMURA, Kenji YOKOI, Hiroyuki NISHIDA, Timofei S. RUDENKO, Konstantin P. SHAMRAI, Takao TANIKAWA, Tohru HADA and Shunjiro SHINOHARA, Plasma Fusion Res. 6, 2406103 (2011).