In-situ spectral characterization of a medium-power Hall Effect Thruster

Evaluation of the parameters of electric propulsion engines on the industrial scale requires new approaches. Passive Emission Spectroscopy (PES) offers several advantages. It allows to determine plasma composition (e.g. ions in various states, molecules), detect both charged and neutral species (unlike plasma probes) and it is non-invasive. The main disadvantage is that a very high spectral resolution is required [1-3]. We report in-situ integration of high-resolution NUV-NIR PES system into the industrial setting and first results for the erosion products detection and Doppler spectroscopy of the xenon plasma in the acceleration region with comparison to previous results [4] and data obtained using other experimental techniques. [1] M.Celik, Experimental and computational studies of electric thruster plasma radiation emission, PhD Thesis, MIT, 2007; [2] T.Matlock, Emission Spectroscopy for the Study of Electric Propulsion Plasmas, MS Thesis, MIT, June 2009; [3] A.Hyde, Development and characterization of RF-driven plasma and UV light sources, PhD Thesis, Northeastern University, 2019.; [4] M.Celik, O. Batishchev, M.Martinez-Sanchez, Vacuum 84(9), 1085-1091, April 2010.