Design and preliminary characterization of a helicon plasma device for aerospace propulsion

Abstract

The versatility of helicon plasma devices (HPDs) has led to their prominence in contemporary applications, including electric propulsion on space missions. The production of plasma through helicon discharges, which are created when gases pass through a chamber at low pressure and absorb Helicon and Trivelpiece-Gould (TG) waves, results in a plasma of high electronic density and low energy. This plasma can be utilized in a variety of applications. In order to conduct research and apply these sources, a helicon-type device was designed and constructed at the Plasma Physics Laboratory (LFP) at the University of Brasília (UnB). This article describes preliminary measurements and the device construction project.