PLASMA ACCELERATOR Russian patent published in 1998 - IPC

FIELD: plasma engineering; electric rocket engines, plasma accelerators with closed-circuit electron drift designed for operation under space conditions; electronic engineering for ionic cleaning, producing coatings of various functional applications in vacuum metallurgy to improve surface characteristics of metals and alloys. SUBSTANCE: plasma accelerator with closed- circuit drift of electrons has azimuth-closed channel for ionizing and accelerating working medium formed along accelerator axis by two walls coaxial with it and open on one end. Azimuth-closed anode and collector for feeding working medium are located in channel at end opposite to open one. Magnetic system is built up of at least four poles; odd number of poles whose polarity is alternating along accelerator axis are arranged at each wall. Magnetic field built up in channel has its maximum in vicinity of open end of channel and decays towards anode. Distance between closest poles is chosen not to exceed half-width of channel. Middle poles of magnetic system placed at different walls are located at open end of channel. EFFECT: improved rate of magnetic field decay along accelerator channel which reduces energy loss and number of ions occurring on channel walls. 15 cl, 2 dwg