Experimental Investigation of Carbon Contamination inside Discharge Chamber of Ion Thruster.

Contamination produced in a discharge chamber of an ion thruster was experimentally investigated using carbon-carbon composite grids. The contamination was caused by the grid material that was damaged and eroded by the ion sputtering. The contaminant has the possibility to cause the electrical short between the electrodes, resulting in a total loss of the ion thruster system. For avoidance of such an accident, the statistical features of the carbon contaminant were evaluated.