OPTIMIZATION OF ANTENNA PARAMETERS FOR ICR HEATING BY THE MAGNETIC BEACH METHOD IN AN ELECTRODELESS PLASMA THRUSTER

For effective ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) plasma heating using the “magnetic beach” method in electrodeless plasma thruster, it is necessary to precisely optimize the geometric parameters and shape of the RF antenna. This article presents a full-wave simulation of the excitation of magnetized plasma column eigenmodes by ion-cyclotron (IC) antennas, accounting for the radial inhomogeneity of the plasma column and the spatial dispersion of the electron and ion dielectric response. The simulations calculated both the total power deposited by the antennas into the plasma and its division between the plasma column’s Alfvén eigenmodes and the Alfvén continuum. The calculations were performed for the three most popular antenna types used for ICR plasma heating for the PS-1 setup. The efficiency of these RF antenna types was compared, and the optimal lengths for each were determined.

Ion cyclotron resonance, Alfvén resonance, plasma heating, electrodeless plasma thruster, radiation resistance of an antenna