Wall material effects in a minimized electron cyclotron resonance ion thruster

Abstract

Wall material effects in micro-ion thrusters attracts significant research attention with respect to weakening plasma wall loss, and increasing propellant utilization to obtain high-precision and low-thrust of micro-Newton propulsion, as required in new generation space observation missions. In this study, we compare the performance and discharge characteristics of different wall materials, namely, Mo and Al2O3 in a minimized electron cyclotron resonance ion thruster. The results show that the propellant utilization and specific impulse of the ceramic are about three times higher than those of the Mo at a low mass flow rate of 0.03 sccm. In addition, a planar Langmuir probe is used in the discharge chambers, and the results show that the secondary electron emission of Al2O3 effectively reduces the electron temperature, increases the electron density, and results in high efficiency. These results are helpful for improving the performance of micro-ion propulsion devices for microsatellites and space-borne gravitational wave detection missions.