
doi: 10.1063/1.4966912
pmid: 27910433
The ion thruster beam plasma is characterized by high directed ion velocity (104 m/s) and low plasma density (1015 m−3). Interpretation of measurements of such a plasma based on classical Langmuir probe theory can yield a large experimental error. This paper presents an indirect method to calibrate ion density determination in an ion thruster beam plasma using a Faraday probe, a retarding potential analyzer, and a Langmuir probe. This new method is applied to determine the plasma emitted from a 20-cm-diameter Kaufman ion thruster. The results show that the ion density calibrated by the new method can be as much as 40% less than that without any ion current density and ion velocity calibration.
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