MPD thruster operation with inductively stored energy

Magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thrusters with 10-cm and 2.5-cm long thoriated tungsten cathodes have been operated with both inductive and capacitive energy sources at currents up to 8 kA. Voltage-current characteristics and magnetic field measurements show that over most of the operating range, the inductively driven thruster acts as a continuously varying quasi-steady accelerator at the same current. However, at values of a specified parameter near the onset condition for voltage fluctuations and electrode and insulator erosion, the voltage for the inductively driven thruster is higher than its quasi-steady counterpart. This higher voltage occurs because the equilibration time constant of the MPD discharge, is too large to allow the terminal voltage to attain a quasi-steady value as the inductively driven current decreases.