Physics of Plasma Detachment in a Magnetic Nozzle

The demonstration of plasma detachment from an applied magnetic field is of paramount importance to many future space propulsion designs. Ion engines and Hall thrusters do not produce a magnetized plasma, so the question of plasma magnetization has never bee n raised for these technologies. Several future propulsion technologies, including helicon plasma supplies, do produce a highly magnetized plasma that may or may not break from the applied magnetic field. It has been theorized that a sufficiently energet ic plasma flow will detach from applied magnetic nozzle fields by stretching the magnetic field lines away from the plasma source. Experiments are being conducted at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center intending to study this type of magnetic detachment . This paper will present preliminary results from that experiment, specifically density measurements that indicate a possibility of detachment occurring in this experiment.