%0 Journal Article
	%A Takahiro Nakamura and  Kenji Takahashi and  Hiroyuki Nishida and  Shunjiro Shinohara and  Takeshi Matsuoka and 
Ikkoh Funaki and  Takao Tanikawa and  Tohru Hada
	%D 2012
	%J International Journal of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
	%B World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology
	%I Open Science Index 71, 2012
	%T Direct Measurement of Electromagnetic Thrust of Electrodeless Helicon Plasma Thruster Using Magnetic Nozzle
	%U https://publications.waset.org/pdf/5531
	%V 71
	%X In order to realize long-lived electric propulsion
systems, we have been investigating an electrodeless plasma thruster.
In our concept, a helicon plasma is accelerated by the magnetic nozzle
for the thrusts production. In addition, the electromagnetic thrust can
be enhanced by the additional radio-frequency rotating electric field
(REF) power in the magnetic nozzle. In this study, a direct
measurement of the electromagnetic thrust and a probe measurement
have been conducted using a laboratory model of the thruster under the
condition without the REF power input. Fromthrust measurement, it is
shown that the thruster produces a sub-milli-newton order
electromagnetic thrust force without the additional REF power. The
thrust force and the density jump are observed due to the discharge
mode transition from the inductive coupled plasma to the helicon wave
excited plasma. The thermal thrust is theoretically estimated, and the
total thrust force, which is a sum of the electromagnetic and the
thermal thrust force and specific impulse are calculated to be up to 650
μN (plasma production power of 400 W, Ar gas mass flow rate of 1.0
mg/s) and 210 s (plasma production power of 400 W, Ar gas mass flow
rate of 0.2 mg/s), respectively.
	%P 1498 - 1502