On the Cost of Ion Production in Radio-Frequency Ion Thrusters and Technological Ion Sources

The power balance in the inductive discharge of a radio-frequency ion source is worked out by calculating the power losses caused by plasma deposition on the surfaces bordering it, by the power consumed for positive-ion generation and pre-acceleration, by eddy currents, and by propellant-atom excitation. The relationship between the minimal consumption of high-frequency power per unit of ion current of the thruster and electron temperature and geometric parameters of the gas-discharge chamber is presented.