Vacuum arc thruster
A vacuum arc thruster (VAT) is a form of electric spacecraft propulsion. It uses a vacuum arc discharge, across an insulator, between two electrodes to produce thrust.{{cite web |last1=Lunn |first1=Jonathan |title=Vacuum Arc Thruster and Method of Operating the Same |url=https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=WO2016181360 |publisher=WIPO IP Portal |access-date=20 October 2020 |language=en |date=17 November 2016}} A metal plasma is produced from micrometer-size cathodic spots. Thus, whereas the insulator is used as propellant in a pulsed plasma thruster, in a VAT the metallic cathode is consumed as propellant.
See also
References
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External links
- {{cite journal |last1=Schein |first1=J. |last2=Qi |first2=N. |last3=Binder |first3=R. |last4=Krishnan |first4=M. |last5=Ziemer |first5=J. K. |last6=Polk |first6=J. E. |last7=Anders |first7=A. |title=Inductive energy storage driven vacuum arc thruster |journal=Review of Scientific Instruments |date=February 2002 |volume=73 |issue=2 |pages=925–927 |doi=10.1063/1.1428784 |bibcode=2002RScI...73..925S |url=https://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.1428784}}
- {{cite journal |last1=Chowdhury |first1=Satyajit |last2=Kronhaus |first2=Igal |title=Characterization of Vacuum Arc Thruster Performance in Weak Magnetic Nozzle |journal=Aerospace |date=19 June 2020 |volume=7 |issue=6 |pages=82 |doi=10.3390/aerospace7060082 |bibcode=2020Aeros...7...82C |doi-access=free |arxiv=1912.11645 }}
{{spacecraft propulsion}}
{{Space-stub}}