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This talk overviews recent work at the University of Michigan to push beyond the limits in performance and thrust production historically associated with Hall effect thrusters, the most common type of propulsion flown in space. The physical underpinnings of these limits are discussed as well as the implications of the finding that they may not be absolute.
About the speaker: Dr. Jorns is an associate professor at the University of Michigan and director of the Plasmadynamics and Electric Propulsion Laboratory. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Michigan, he was a technologist in the electric propulsion group at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). His research focuses on electric propulsion devices, laser-based plasma diagnostics, nonlinear wave interactions, low-temperature plasma turbulence, and data-driven modeling of low temperature plasmas. He recently has been exploring strategies for increasing the power density of Hall thrusters and how to improve performance of these thrusters on alternative propellants.