Figure 7
From: Demonstrating a new technology for space debris removal using a bi-directional plasma thruster
(a) Ion saturation currents measured by the Langmuir probes located at z = −35.9 cm (filled square) and +35.9 cm (open circles) as functions of the gas flow rates, where the total gas flow rate is maintained at CArL + CArR = 100 sccm and the solenoid currents are set as (IBL, IBR) = (8 A, 8 A). (b) Axial profiles of the ion saturation current for (CArL, CArR) = (100 sccm, 0 sccm) (open triangles), (50 sccm, 50 sccm) (filled circles), and (0 sccm, 100 sccm) (open squares), where the lines are added as visual guides. The densities exhausted from the source can be controlled by the gas flow rates by inducing changes in density profile inside the source tube. The maximum density appears very close to the gas inlets due to the high neutral density there. For equal gas flow rates from the two gas inlets, the plasma densities at the left- and right-hand sides are balanced; the zero net thrust and the force to the target is simultaneously obtained as shown in Fig. 6.
