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American Institute of Physics, Review of Scientific Instruments, 10(75), p. 4149-4151, 2004

DOI: 10.1063/1.1789588

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Ultraviolet imaging of a magneto–plasmadynamic thruster

Journal article published in 2004 by G. Spizzo ORCID, P. Franz, G. Gadani, L. Marrelli, P. Martin, F. Paganucci, P. Rossetti
This paper is available in a repository.
This paper is available in a repository.

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Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

We present a project of an imaging system of a plasma produced by a magneto–plasmadynamic (MPD) thruster for space applications, in the ultraviolet range. This system consists of four detectors placed outside the thruster (5 cm from the anode surface), plus nine arrays of ultraviolet (UV)-enhanced photodiodes, viewing the plasma at three different axial positions ( z=3.5,8.0, and 12.5 cm from the cathode tip) obtained carving directly their lodgings in the cylindrical structure of the anode, in between anode and cathode. We used single UDT455 UV/LN detectors with low noise, built-in amplifiers. The system allows the imaging of m=1 helical instabilities which limit the MPD thrust efficiency.