Stepped gate, gate structure and stepped gate parameter determination method and system

Abstract

The invention relates to a step gate, a gate structure and a step gate parameter determination method and system. The gate is designed to be of a step-shaped structure; the step gate is divided into a central area, a transition area and an edge area in the radial direction; the thicknesses of the central area, the transition area and the edge area are sequentially reduced; the distances from the central area, the transition area and the edge area to the other gate are sequentially increased; the spacing of gates along the radial direction is changed; and the spacing of the gates in different areas is different, so that plasma sheaths at different radial positions have accelerating electric fields with proper intensity; and ion beams at different positions can be ensured to be well focused.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to the technical field of miniature ion electric thrusters, in particular to a step grid, a grid structure, a method and a system for determining the parameters of the step grid. Background technique [0002] The ion thruster accelerates the ions in the discharge chamber plasma through the grid to generate thrust. The grid of the ion thruster generally includes a screen grid and an acceleration grid. The screen grid and the acceleration grid are generally porous structures. The screen grid holes and the acceleration grid The grid holes are aligned, and the plasma in the discharge chamber forms a spherical plasma sheath above the screen grid holes. Ions are emitted from the plasma sheath, accelerated by the electric field between the grids, and ejected from the acceleration grid holes to form an ion beam. The shape of the plasma sheath is related to the plasma parameters upstream of the screen grid. When the values ​​of the upstrea...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Whether it is ion beam divergence or ion beam overfocus, it will reduce the efficiency of ion beam extraction, and it will also cause the acceleration grid to be bombarded by beam ions, reducing the performance and life of the acceleration grid.

Preventing the divergence and over-focusing of the ion beam is of great significance to improve the performance and life of the ion thruster. For the conventional ion thruster, the size of the discharge chamber is large, the strong magnetic field area is limited near the anode, most of the plasma is relatively uniform, and the tiny ions The size of the thruster is small, the gradient of the magnetic field along the radial direction is large, and the uniformity of the plasma in the radial direction is relatively poor due to the influence of the magnetic field. If the spacing of the grid along the radial direction is kept consistent, then it is impossible to ensure that the central area and the edge of the grid at the same time Good ion beam focusing in all areas

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