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Using a helicon source to simulate atmospheric re-entry plasma densities and temperatures in a laboratory setting

Publication ,  Journal Article
Lemmer, KM; Gallimore, AD; Smith, TB
Published in: Plasma Sources Science and Technology
July 10, 2009

The purpose of this research is to develop a plasma system capable of reproducing plasma densities found during atmospheric re-entry of a capsule. We developed a 150 mm diameter helicon source at the University of Michigan Plasmadynamics and Electric Propulsion Laboratory (PEPL) and used a Langmuir probe to characterize plasma properties downstream. The helicon source was operated with argon gas at a background pressure of 0.6 mTorr. We used a commercial RF-compensated single Langmuir probe to measure ion number density and electron temperature in the region downstream of the helicon source where we want to create conditions similar to those found during hypersonic flight within the atmosphere. We measured these values with and without the presence of a large 450 mm wide by 550 mm long surface downstream in the horizontal plane to simulate a vehicle surrounded by plasma in order to determine how the downstream body affects plasma properties. We found that the presence of a surface downstream of the helicon source lowers the downstream plasma density range from between 1.7 × 1017 and 3.3 × 1017 m-3 down to 0.55 × 1017 and 1.3 × 10 17 m-3. In addition, the peak plasma potential decreases from 65 to 55 V, but the electron temperature remains unchanged ranging between 1.5 and 6.5 eV. © 2009 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Plasma Sources Science and Technology

DOI

EISSN

1361-6595

ISSN

0963-0252

Publication Date

July 10, 2009

Volume

18

Issue

2

Related Subject Headings

  • Applied Physics
  • 0202 Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics
 

Citation

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Lemmer, K. M., Gallimore, A. D., & Smith, T. B. (2009). Using a helicon source to simulate atmospheric re-entry plasma densities and temperatures in a laboratory setting. Plasma Sources Science and Technology, 18(2). https://doi.org/10.1088/0963-0252/18/2/025019
Lemmer, K. M., A. D. Gallimore, and T. B. Smith. “Using a helicon source to simulate atmospheric re-entry plasma densities and temperatures in a laboratory setting.” Plasma Sources Science and Technology 18, no. 2 (July 10, 2009). https://doi.org/10.1088/0963-0252/18/2/025019.
Lemmer KM, Gallimore AD, Smith TB. Using a helicon source to simulate atmospheric re-entry plasma densities and temperatures in a laboratory setting. Plasma Sources Science and Technology. 2009 Jul 10;18(2).
Lemmer, K. M., et al. “Using a helicon source to simulate atmospheric re-entry plasma densities and temperatures in a laboratory setting.” Plasma Sources Science and Technology, vol. 18, no. 2, July 2009. Scopus, doi:10.1088/0963-0252/18/2/025019.
Lemmer KM, Gallimore AD, Smith TB. Using a helicon source to simulate atmospheric re-entry plasma densities and temperatures in a laboratory setting. Plasma Sources Science and Technology. 2009 Jul 10;18(2).
Journal cover image

Published In

Plasma Sources Science and Technology

DOI

EISSN

1361-6595

ISSN

0963-0252

Publication Date

July 10, 2009

Volume

18

Issue

2

Related Subject Headings

  • Applied Physics
  • 0202 Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics