What is it about?
RF cathodes are a promising technology for operating electric propulsion systems without material/propellant limitations. However, their physics are poorly-understood. We improve how we model their performance on noble gases by deriving scaling laws, extending our capability to different gases, and comparing to experimental data.
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Why is it important?
As electric propulsion systems become more and more popular, we want to be able to utilize a wider range of propellants. This means using new cathode technologies, like the RF cathode. However, the poorly-understood physics of this device mean that we first need to understand their operation on simple noble gases. This work expands our physical understanding and modeling capabilities of RF cathode performance.
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This page is a summary of: Model Extensibility and Mode Transitions in an RF Cathode Operating on Noble Gases, January 2025, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA),
DOI: 10.2514/6.2025-0723.
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