Power loss to generating ion current in radio-frequency ion thrusters and technological sources of ions

Resumo

The balance of power in a radio-frequency ion source is constructed by calculating the inevitable power loss at surfaces bordering the inductive discharge plasma and power loss to the generation and preliminary acceleration of working-gas ions. The relationship between the specific radio-frequency power consumption per ion-current unit emerging from the source and electron temperature and geometric parameters of the gas discharge chamber is determined.