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Updated: May 17, 2026
11:20
Investigation of Early Plasma Evolution Induced by Ultrashort Laser Pulses
Published on: July 2, 2012
Kr II laser-induced fluorescence for measuring plasma acceleration
W A Hargus1, G M Azarnia, M R Nakles
1AFRL/RQRS, Edwards AFB, California 93524, USA. william.hargus@edwards.af.mil
The Review of Scientific Instruments
|November 7, 2012
Summary
Laser-induced fluorescence quantifies krypton ion acceleration in Hall effect thrusters, crucial for spacecraft propulsion. This nonintrusive method measures ion velocity and temperature, aiding thruster performance analysis.
Area of Science:
- Plasma Physics
- Space Propulsion Engineering
Background:
- Hall effect thrusters are vital for spacecraft propulsion.
- Accurate diagnostics are needed to understand ion acceleration within these devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To apply laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) of singly ionized krypton (Kr II) as a diagnostic tool.
- To quantify electrostatic acceleration in a laboratory Hall effect thruster.
- To nonintrusively measure ion velocity, temperature, and velocity distributions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized LIF on the 728.98 nm Kr II transition (5d(4)D(7/2) to 5p(4)P(5/2)(∘)).
- Measured fluorescence within the plasma discharge to determine ion properties.
- Modeled transition lineshapes using hyperfine splitting data.
Main Results:
- Successfully measured krypton ion acceleration from near rest to approximately 21 km/s (190 eV).
- Extracted ion temperature and velocity distributions from fluorescence data.
- Observed increased uncertainty in ion temperature due to overlapping ion creation and acceleration regions.
Conclusions:
- LIF is a viable nonintrusive diagnostic for characterizing ion acceleration in Hall effect thrusters.
- The technique allows for calculation of propellant energy deposition and effective electric fields.
- Further refinement is needed to address uncertainties in ion temperature determination.
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