Experimental testing of a high current lanthanum hexaboride hollow cathode

Abstract

In a collaboration between Pulsar Fusion LTD and the University of Southampton's Astronautics Group, we have worked on the design, manufacture and testing of a high current hollow cathode. The cathode is designed for operation with Pulsar Fusion's 8 - 15 kW Hall thruster, as well as nominally with their smaller approximately 1kW Hall thruster. Hall effect thrusters and gridded ion thrusters both require an external source of electrons for operation, this source of electrons has been historically provided by an external cathode. Here a commercial prototype high current external heated hollow cathode has been tested in both diode and triode configurations. This testing intends to investigate the present capabilities of the design. These preliminary tests of this prototype cathode will attempt to operate the cathode up to 100 amp of discharge current; the design is capable of supplying in-excess of 150 amps at an insert temperature of 1700 C. The cathode will be operated using krypton as the propellant and have the transient current output recorded with a high frequency oscilloscope.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Thomas, Francis Munro-O'Brien: orcid.org/0000-0002-8387-3143

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