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Dynamic Resistance Probe for the Measurement of the Mass Deposition Rate from a Condensible Propellant Thruster

Abstract

A new diagnostic for measuring condensible propellant deposition, the dynamic resistance probe, is presented. Using Ohm’s law, a theory is formulated to model the rate of lithium deposition as a function of the voltage and temperature of the probe over a given time period. A proof-of-concept experiment is performed on a lithium Lorentz force accelerator which validates the theoretical model, measuring a lithium mass flux of 0.35 μg/cm2 s with a 95% confidence bound at 6% of the measurement.