Xenon Ion Beam Detachment From a Helicon Double Layer Thruster

Abstract

Ion magnetic detachment in the helicon double layer thruster exhaust beam is studied by calculating the orbits of the ions accelerated by the double layer and analyzing the curvature of the trajectories in the diverging magnetic field. An image of the detachment flux surface is presented for standard operating conditions, where a xenon ion beam has been experimentally observed. The results of the simulation are compared with that of the experiment.