Kaufman ion source
The Kaufman ion source is a large area ion source with a high ion current at a low working pressure . It was developed in the late 1950s under the direction of NASA scientist Harold R. Kaufman for ion thrusters . It is also used in industrial process technology.
The ions are formed by electron impact ionization of gas atoms or molecules. The free electrons are generated thermally (like in a hot cathode without its electron optics) or for higher currents with a hollow cathode . The anode is ring-shaped. A magnetic multipole field deflects the electrons so that they travel a longer distance in the gas before they are picked up by the anode. This enables working pressures in the high vacuum area . A large control grid gently extracts the ions and at the same time shields the ion source from the high field strength in the subsequent acceleration section.
literature
- HR Kaufman, RS Robinson: Ion Source Design for Industrial Applications , Am. Inst. Aeronaut. Astronaut. J. 20, 1982, pp. 745-760, doi : 10.2514 / 3.51131 .
- M. Zeuner, J. Meichsner, H. Neumann, F. Scholze, F. Bigl: Design of ion energy distributions by a broad beam ion source , J. Appl. Phys. 80, 1996, pp. 611-622, doi : 10.1063 / 1.362869 .
Individual evidence
- ^ NASA Glenn Research Center: Ion Propulsion: Farther, Faster, Cheaper , July 12, 2004.
- ↑ DJ Conolly, RJ Sovie: The effect of background pressure and magnetic field shape on MPD thruster performance , AIAA Paper 69-243, March 1969, doi : 10.2514 / 6.1969-243 .