The operating temperature of thoriated tungsten cathodes used in electric thrusters depends on the surface coverage of thorium, which is determined by a balance of rate processes which supply and deplete the surface layer. The fundamental processes and rates are first reviewed in detail, then a phenomenological model based on these rate processes is described. The model indicates that the thermionic emission capabilities of thoriated tungsten cathodes decay rapidly because of thorium depletion at temperatures encountered in electric thrusters.
Operation of thoriated tungsten cathodes
10th SymposiumùSpace Nuclear Power and Propulsion ; 1993 ; Albuquerque, NM, USA
AIP Conference Proceedings ; 271 , 3 ; 1435-1446
1993-01-20
12 pages
Conference paper
Electronic Resource
English
Metallurgy of thoriated tungsten powder and realisation of ionisers
Tema Archive | 1974
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