Operation of an electron-bombardment ion source using various gases

An electron-bombardment ion thruster of the SERT 2 type was operated with xenon, krypton, argon, neon, nitrogen, helium, and carbon dioxide. The discharge performance with xenon, krypton, and argon was similar to that obtained previously with mercury. Mass spectrometer data indicated that the xenon contained no significant multiple ionization. Restriction of the beam area, with an associated decrease in discharge potential, was necessary to reduce multiple ionization with argon to a negligible level. This modification also resulted in more stable operation of the thruster. Performance with the remaining gases was poor because the basic thruster designed was optimized for operation with mercury

Electrostatic ion rocket engine Patent

Electron bombardment ion rocket engine with improved propellant introduction syste

Electrostatic ion engine having a permanent magnetic circuit Patent

Ion engine with magnetic circuit for optimal discharg

Binary fluid amplifier solves stability and load problems

Digital fluid amplifier has load intensity, high stability, and operates at low reynolds numbers. It contains specially designed nozzles to provide uniform exit-velocity profiles and to ensure jets of low turbulence

Research on a non-destructive fluidic storage control device

Fluidic memory device with associated fluidic alpha numerical displa

Precision measurement of the branching ratio in the 6P3/2 decay of BaII with a single trapped ion

We present a measurement of the branching ratios from the 6P3/2 state of BaII into all dipoleallowed decay channels (6S1/2, 5D3/2 and 5D5/2). Measurements were performed on single 138Ba+ ions in a linear Paul trap with a frequency-doubled mode-locked Ti:Sapphire laser resonant with the 6S1/2->6P3/2 transition at 455 nm by detection of electron shelving into the dark 5D5/2 state. By driving a pi Rabi rotation with a single femtosecond pulse, a absolute measurement of the branching ratio to 5D5/2 state was performed. Combined with a measurement of the relative decay rates into 5D3/2 and 5D5/2 states performed with long trains of highly attenuated 455 nm pulses, it allowed the extraction of the absolute ratios of the other two decays. Relative strengths normalized to unity are found to be 0.756+/-0.046, 0.0290+/-0.0015 and 0.215+/-0.0064 for 6S1/2, 5D3/2 and 5D5/2 respectively. This approximately constitutes a threefold improvement over the best previous measurements and is a sufficient level of precision to compare to calculated values for dipole matrix elements.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, 1 tabl

Contributions to twentieth century total column ozone change from halocarbons, tropospheric ozone precursors, and climate change

We investigate ozone changes from preindustrial times to the present using a chemistry-climate model. The influence of changes in physical climate, ozone-depleting substances, N2O, and tropospheric ozone precursors is estimated using equilibrium simulations with these different factors set at either preindustrial or present-day values. When these effects are combined, the entire decrease in total column ozone from preindustrial to present day is very small (–1.8 DU) in the global annual average, though with significant decreases in total column ozone over large parts of the Southern Hemisphere during austral spring and widespread increases in column ozone over the Northern Hemisphere during boreal summer. A significant contribution to the total ozone column change is the increase in lower stratospheric ozone associated with the increase in ozone precursors (5.9 DU). Also noteworthy is the near cancellation of the global average climate change effect on ozone (3.5 DU) by the increase in N2O (–3.9 DU)