RF Plasma Cathodes and Other Research Activities in the Plasma Propulsion Group at NRL
Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/478962Our next MIPSE seminar will be presented by Dr. Marcel Georgin of the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). The seminar, to be held Wednesday, April 9, at 3:10 pm in Room 1003 EECS, is titled “RF Plasma Cathodes and Other Research Activities in the Plasma Propulsion Group at NRL”. NRL is a major center for development of plasma propulsion systems with a focus on long lived systems for space missions and the plasma physics that might limit or enhance that longevity. Dr. Georgin will provide an overview of these activities. Please see attached flyer or (https://mipse.umich.edu/seminars_2425.php) for details. The seminar will be conducted in person and simulcast via Zoom (see (https://mipse.umich.edu/seminars_2425.php#winter2025) on the MIPSE website). Agenda: This talk discusses recent work on RF plasma cathodes, propellant agnostic electron sources for electric propulsion systems that enable new deep space exploration mission architectures such as in-situ resource utilization. We develop the fundamental theory for these devices and demonstrate its effectiveness at determining IV characteristics and performance. From our measurements and model, we project thruster performance and discuss the consequences for space exploration. Then we dive into non-ideal behavior that can be exhibited in these cathodes including sheath expansion and mode transitions. The remainder of the discussion will overview other plasma-related research activities in the NRL propulsion group. About the Speaker: Dr. Marcel Georgin is an Aerospace Engineer at th Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/478962