In a 2.45 GHz electron cyclotron resonance(ECR)ion thruster powered with rod antenna under a cross magnetic field,abnormal behaviours such as sudden drop of ion beam current(Ib)and larger increasing-rate of Ibin the h...In a 2.45 GHz electron cyclotron resonance(ECR)ion thruster powered with rod antenna under a cross magnetic field,abnormal behaviours such as sudden drop of ion beam current(Ib)and larger increasing-rate of Ibin the high microwave power(Pw)discharges at high gas flow rates were observed.A differential method was proposed to reveal the changes in the radial profiles of gray values extracted from the end-view discharge images.The increasing-rate of Ibwith respect to Pwwas used to evaluate efficiencies of ion production and transport.Analyses indicate that discharges are dominantly sustained by ordinary wave via electron heating in the electron plasma resonance layer that can shift along the rod-antenna,and extraordinary wave can only ignite a discharge in the ECR layer in the low gas flow rate regime.In terms of the confinement region defined by the magnetic field lines intercepting with the screen grid,the confinement region of the optimized 2.45 GHz cross magnetic field takes the shape of hourglass,enabling the high increasing-rate of Ib with respect to Pw in high power discharges at high gas flow rates.Correlated with the accompanied bright boundary layer appearing in the differentiated image,the sudden drop of Ib in the low gas flow rate regime is attributed to the discharge ignited by the enhanced extraordinary wave in the ECR layer neighbouring the narrowest confinement region,where the produced ions can promptly enter the loss region.展开更多
To reveal the argon plasma characteristics within the entire region of an electron cyclotron resonance（ECR） ion source, the plasma parameters were diagnosed using a bended Langmuir probe with the filament axis perpe...To reveal the argon plasma characteristics within the entire region of an electron cyclotron resonance（ECR） ion source, the plasma parameters were diagnosed using a bended Langmuir probe with the filament axis perpendicular to the diagnosing plane. Experiments indicate that,with a gas volume flow rate and incident microwave power of 4 sccm and 8.8 W, respectively,the gas was ionized to form plasma with a luminous ring. When the incident microwave power was above 27 W, the luminous ring was converted to a bright column, the dark area near its axis was narrowed, and the microwave power absorbing efficiency was increased. This indicates that there was a mode transition phenomenon in this ECR ion source when the microwave power increased. The diagnosis shows that, at an incident microwave power of 17.4 W, the diagnosed electron temperature and ion density were below 8 eV and 3×10^17 m^-3, respectively, while at incident microwave power levels of 30 W and 40 W, the maximum electron temperature and ion density were above 11 eV and 6.8×10^17 m^-3, respectively. Confined by magnetic mirrors, the higher density plasma region had a bow shape, which coincided with the magnetic field lines but deviated from the ECR layer.展开更多
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.11975070)Open Funds for Science and Technology on Vacuum Technology and Physics Laboratory,Lanzhou Institute of Physics(No.zwk1609)。
文摘In a 2.45 GHz electron cyclotron resonance(ECR)ion thruster powered with rod antenna under a cross magnetic field,abnormal behaviours such as sudden drop of ion beam current(Ib)and larger increasing-rate of Ibin the high microwave power(Pw)discharges at high gas flow rates were observed.A differential method was proposed to reveal the changes in the radial profiles of gray values extracted from the end-view discharge images.The increasing-rate of Ibwith respect to Pwwas used to evaluate efficiencies of ion production and transport.Analyses indicate that discharges are dominantly sustained by ordinary wave via electron heating in the electron plasma resonance layer that can shift along the rod-antenna,and extraordinary wave can only ignite a discharge in the ECR layer in the low gas flow rate regime.In terms of the confinement region defined by the magnetic field lines intercepting with the screen grid,the confinement region of the optimized 2.45 GHz cross magnetic field takes the shape of hourglass,enabling the high increasing-rate of Ib with respect to Pw in high power discharges at high gas flow rates.Correlated with the accompanied bright boundary layer appearing in the differentiated image,the sudden drop of Ib in the low gas flow rate regime is attributed to the discharge ignited by the enhanced extraordinary wave in the ECR layer neighbouring the narrowest confinement region,where the produced ions can promptly enter the loss region.
基金financial support of National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.11475137)
文摘To reveal the argon plasma characteristics within the entire region of an electron cyclotron resonance（ECR） ion source, the plasma parameters were diagnosed using a bended Langmuir probe with the filament axis perpendicular to the diagnosing plane. Experiments indicate that,with a gas volume flow rate and incident microwave power of 4 sccm and 8.8 W, respectively,the gas was ionized to form plasma with a luminous ring. When the incident microwave power was above 27 W, the luminous ring was converted to a bright column, the dark area near its axis was narrowed, and the microwave power absorbing efficiency was increased. This indicates that there was a mode transition phenomenon in this ECR ion source when the microwave power increased. The diagnosis shows that, at an incident microwave power of 17.4 W, the diagnosed electron temperature and ion density were below 8 eV and 3×10^17 m^-3, respectively, while at incident microwave power levels of 30 W and 40 W, the maximum electron temperature and ion density were above 11 eV and 6.8×10^17 m^-3, respectively. Confined by magnetic mirrors, the higher density plasma region had a bow shape, which coincided with the magnetic field lines but deviated from the ECR layer.
