Worcester Polytechnic Institute Electronic Projects Collection

Title page for E-project-030508-102407


Project TypeMQP
Submission date2008-03-05
Authors
  • Joseph M Basile, ME
  • McConnell W Dickson, AE
  • William P Flaherty, ME
  • Brian M Kolk, ME
  • URNE-project-030508-102407
    TitleDevelopment of a Plasma Source with Particulate Injector
    Advisor
  • Blandino, John J., ME
  • Availability unrestricted

    Abstract

    A plasma discharge chamber was designed and built to investigate the charging of dust in a plasma. The design was based on an ion thruster discharge chamber using a filament cathode. The discharge chamber consists of an aluminum cylinder with gas and electrical feedthroughs. A filament cathode is used to ionize this gas and create the plasma. Magnets are used to increase the electron residence time in the gas and hence the number of collisions. Dust is introduced using a rate-controllable dispenser and falls through the chamber where it is charged through collisions with ions and electrons. Some of these dust particles fall into an induction charge detector that measures their charge. A Langmuir probe is also used to collect data on the plasma to investigate its properties.

    Files
  • DustyPlasma_MQP_FINAL.pdf

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