2
0→6p[3/2]2(3P2-1D2) transition at 823.2 nm and the xenon-ion 5d[3]7/2→6p[2]5/2 0(4D7/2-4P5/2) transition is used to measure plasma parameters in the plume of a laboratory-model xenon Hall thruster. The Hall discharge operates nominally at 62 V, 4.2 A, and 3.2 mg s-1 xenon flow, with an overall thruster power of 320 W. A tunable semiconductor diode laser and an Ar+-pumped dye laser are used to probe the respective excited-state transitions. Axial velocity measurements are made at a number of axial and radial locations up to 4.5 cm downstream of the thruster-exit plane and under a variety of thruster operating conditions. Neutral velocities from 100 m s-1 to 400 m s-1 and ion velocities as high as 12 km s-1 are calculated from measured Doppler shifts. The charge-exchange phenomenon evidently does not significantly affect the xenon neutrals. The spectral-line shapes of the ion indicate a spread in ion energies through a non-Maxwellian distribution of axial velocities. Neutral kinetic temperatures of 500 (±200) K are observed under standard operating conditions. Zeeman and Stark effects on the spectral-line shapes, from the thruster’s magnetic and electric fields, are not substantial. The measured line center of the ion transition is 16521.23 (±0.02) cm-1.
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Received: 20 January 1997/Revised version: 12 May 1997
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Cedolin, R., Hargus Jr., W., Storm, P. et al. Laser-induced fluorescence study of a xenon Hall thruster . Appl Phys B 65, 459–469 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/s003400050297
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s003400050297