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The Trip of One Xenon Atom Through an Ion Engine

The Trip of One Xenon Atom Through an Ion Engine. Simplified Graphic. As a Xenon atom moves through an Ion Engine...it is. 1. Ionized. 2. Attracted. 3. Accelerated. 4. Neutralized. Why Xenon?. • it is an inert gas. • it has a low first ionization energy.

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The Trip of One Xenon Atom Through an Ion Engine

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  1. The Trip of One Xenon Atom Through an Ion Engine Simplified Graphic

  2. As a Xenon atom moves through an Ion Engine...it is 1. Ionized 2. Attracted 3. Accelerated 4. Neutralized

  3. Why Xenon? • it is an inert gas • it has a low firstionization energy • its charge-to-mass ratio can provide exhaust speeds of approximately 106 km/h • it is not radioactive

  4. Relative Charge Number Line Negative chargestrengthsPositivechargestrengths Dawn

  5. Relative Charges in Ion Engine Dawn Engine walls < Xenon ion plasma < First electrode grid <Second electrode grid

  6. Ionization Enlargement of action area • Electron collides with xenon atom • Collision forms a xenon ion and two free electrons

  7. Attraction to Positive Grid Enlargement of action area 1000 micrometers (m)

  8. Acceleration Enlargement of action area Xe+ Xe+ Xe Acceleration 35,000 m/s  1/50th of a pound thrust

  9. Neutralization Enlargement of action area

  10. Xenon Ions Provide Thrust  m e v e = m i v i 750-kg Dawn spacecraft ∆v = 10-5 m/s

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