An end-to-end model is presented of the transient plume created by a micro laser-ablation plasma thruster. The laser ablation and plasma formation processes are modeled using a semi-analytical approach. This procedure provides boundary conditions at the target surface for the plume model that is based on a particle computational approach. The present study considers a 2 W diode-based laser irradiating a poly- vinyl chloride target over a spot radius of 10 micrometers for a pulse of about 100 microsecond(s) ec. The plume simulations reveal many details of the multi-component plasma expansion. The results are used to predict plume induced contamination effects.
Raymond Boxman, Samuel Goldsmith, Amir Ben-Shalom, Larissa Kaplan, David Arbilly, Evgeny Gidalevich, Vladimir Zhitomirsky, Amiel Ishaya, Michael Keidar, Isak Beilis
The cathode spot vacuum produces a jet of highly ionized plasma plus a spray of liquid droplets, both consisting of cathode material. The droplets are filtered from the plasma by passing the plasma through a curved, magnetic duct. A radial magnetic field may be applied to the face of the cathode to rotate and distribute the cathode spots in order to obtain even erosion and avoid local overheating.
In this work the kinetics of macroparticle charging in the rarified part of the arc plasma jet are studied. The sheath in the vicinity of the macroparticle is collisionless and the problem with different Debye length to macroparticle radius ratio is analyzed. Maxwellian velocity distribution functions with different temperatures for the electrons and ions in an arbitrary ratio are allowed in the model. The influence of the plasma drift velocity on the macroparticle charging is discussed.
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