Satellite propulsion spectral signature detection and analysis
Space Situational Awareness (SSA) is of utmost importance in today's space dependent, congested and contested environment. The health of a propulsion system is vital to ensure proper function and thus proper mission placement. Electric propulsion is gaining popularity for satellite propulsion systems due to higher efficiencies, specific impulse, and the savings it offers in both spacecraft mass and launch costs. Electron temperature is a commonly used diagnostic to determine the efficiency of a Hall thruster. Recent papers have coordinated near infrared (NIR) spectral measurements of ionization lines in xenon and krypton to electron temperature measurements. This research will characterize NIR plume emissions for a 600 Watt Hall thruster using both xenon and krypton propellants for a variety of observation angles and operating power levels. By determining spectral differences when altering these variables, it would be possible to identify angle, power level, and propellant in order to provide information on electron temperature and thus efficiency. Although they have a high specific impulse, electric propulsion systems provide lower thrust than chemical alternatives. This means that the firing times needed for spacecraft maneuvers can be on the order of hours to months. This provides an opportunity for this characterization to not only be put to use in chamber experiments but on-orbit as well. Ground-based observations of these spectral lines would allow for identification of the type of thruster as well as the health of the system while the satellite is in operation on-orbit. The current SSA architecture is limited and task saturated. If smaller telescopes, like those at universities, could successfully detect these signatures they could augment data collection for the SSA network. To facilitate data collection, precise atmospheric modeling must be used to identify the signature. Within the atmosphere, the NIR has a higher transmission rate and typical HET propellants are approximately 3x the intensity in the NIR versus the visible spectrum making it ideal for ground based observations. This research will combine emission measurements with atmospheric and plume models to develop a single end-to-end model that will determine xenon and krypton signatures through the atmosphere, discernable differences in power level and viewing angle of Hall thruster systems, and estimate the efficacy through ground-based observations.
Plume Characteristics of the Busek 600 W Hall Thruster
Abstract : To better characterize the potential impacts of the operation of a Busek Company, Inc. BHT-HD-600 laboratory Hall thruster on spacecraft, a number of plume properties have been measured. These include current density using a Faraday probe, ion energy distribution using a retarding potential analyzer, and ion species fractions using an E x B probe. The BHT-HD-600 Hall thruster is a nominally 600 W xenon Hall thruster developed by Busek Co. Inc. for the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. Plume characterization of Hall thrusters is required to fully understand the impacts of thruster operation on spacecraft. Much of these plume data are vital inputs for numerical models that can then be applied to estimate the effect of the energetic plume on complex spacecraft geometries. Early measurement of plume properties, such as plume divergence, ion energy distribution, and species fractions, aids the timely transfer of Hall thruster technology to the user. The plume's ion beam was characterized by measurement of ion current density radial profiles, ion energy spectra and ion species fraction distributions. Measurements were recorded at +or- 90 degrees off thruster centerline at 60 cm from the discharge. It was determined slight variations in anode potential and mass-flow produced a measurable effect on ion current density and plume divergence, experimentally showing an increase or decrease of +or- 15-20%. Ionic energy spectra demonstrated both inelastic and elastic scattering within the plume. The measurements reveal significant populations of multiply-charged ions in the plume. E x B probe measurements show surprisingly ion species fraction angle dependence.
An Essay on the Nature and Significance of the Normative Nature of Economics
It is conventional in economics to distinguish between the normative and the positive. The normative has to do with goodness and badness, and with what ought and ought not to be done;1 and the positive has to do with objective description and/or explanation, with what is and with what is necessary given some normative end. The normative has to do with desirability; the positive has to do with truth (in the sense of either descriptive accuracy or serviceability of a means to a given end).2