Global Modeling of N2O, air and N2 Discharges and Applications

A Global (volume averaged) Model (GM) conceived for modeling of discharges fed by N2O and by N2 / O2 mixtures including 4:1 [N2]:[O2] air-like ones, is applied to plasma discharges and to electric propulsion devices in case of pure N2O and of N2 / O2 feeding. The main results obtained by this model allowing to characterize the central core region part of Helicon Thrusters (HelT) are presented and discussed. Functioning is restricted in a rather low pressure region, of 3 mTorr up to 30 mTorr. The absorbed power in the core region introduced here is varying from 25 W up to 1000 W. Note that both pressure and power ranges have been here enlarged in comparison with previous values treating an Ar fed HelT which spanned only a 2 mTorr to 10 mTorr region for the pressure and 25 W to 150 W for the absorbed power. Various types of thrusters are examined on the basis of Functioning Diagrams (FD) and the plasma composition is given by Plasma Components Composition (PCC) results.

Autorentext

Dr. Konstantinos Katsonis worked at the AIEA Atomic & Molecular Data Unit (Vienna, Austria) and subsequently at the GAPHYOR Atomic Data Center in LPGP Lab. (Orsay, France). Specialist in atomic physics, atomic data, chaotic dynamics and electric propulsion, he created together with Dr. Ch. Berenguer the SME DEDALOS Ltd. in Thessaloniki, Greece.