Brief description of the INAF/IAPS facility.

The IAPS-INAF plasma chamber is designed to reproduce a large volume of plasma with ionospheric parameters, for testing payloads envisioned to operate onboard LEO spacecrafts.

A plasma beam (Ar+) is accelerated within the chamber at a speed which simulates the relative velocity of the spacecraft w.r.t. the ionosphere (≈ 8km/s).

•Plasma density: ≈ 1012 – 1013 m-3 .

•Electron temperature: ≈ 1000 – 3000 K .

•Neutral pressure ≈ 5∙10-6 mbar (with plasma source in operation).

•Magnetic field: 0 – 1∙10-4 T (directions parallel and orthogonal w.r.t. plasma beam).

•Plasma diagnostics based on Langmuir Probes and Ion Drift Meters).

INAF PLASMA CHAMBER FACILITY

4.5 m

WP Manager and Test conductor Giuliano Vannaroni Associato INAF-IAPS, Uninettuno

Test conductor Piero Diego Associato INAF-IAPS, Università di Trento

Responsible of Facility Elisabetta De Angelis INAF-IAPS

Mechanical h/w design Alfredo Morbidini INAF-IAPS

1.7 m

Refurbishment of Plasma Chamber Facility - 1 (June 2014 – 23 January 2015) completed

• Maintenance of vacuum system: service on Cryo-pump, Screw-line, Roots, Valves, etc. .

• Tests on plasma: gas flow control, plasma source, magnetic coils, s/w plasma diagnostics, etc. .

Cryo/Chamber Valve He gas - Compressor Plasma Source Power Supplies

1.76 1.76 13 turns 13 turns 10 turns

16 turns

16 turns

3. 3 4

4.48

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Refurbishment of Plasma Chamber Facility - 2 (June 2014 – 23 January 2015) completed

3

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0yyy 103.5

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BB//AH

4

0y

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BOF

3

0z

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BB//AH

3

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zz 106.1

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BOF

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View of Plasma Chamber FacilityMagnetic field coil system

Axial Homogeneity @ 1m3 Orthogonal Factor @ 1m3 Coil Sensitivity Maximum field

yB 1 G

zB 1 G

Refurbishment of Plasma Chamber Facility - 3 (June 2014 – 23 January 2015) completed

Test of s/w for real time analysis of plasma diagnostics, and data acquisition