IonSpark
Our hollow cathode, operating in vacuum. Pulsed DC or AC drive keeps charge from building up and limits arcing.
Electron source
Plasma Source
The Plasma Source subteam builds the electron source for our thruster: IonSpark, a heaterless, insertless hollow cathode adapted from the microplasma design of Gott and Xu. A high-voltage tungsten pin inside a quartz tube emits electrons by field emission, igniting an argon plasma that stepwise ionization then sustains.
Emitter materials
A spring 2026 study compared tungsten, copper, and aluminum pins by measured electron current, presented as a research poster.
Simulation & visualization
Field-emission models and a stepwise ionization solver for argon, with figures and interactive views of the results.
Test campaign
Planned experiments cover electrode geometry, gas flow and cathode wear, alternative gases, tube materials, and voltage versus pressure.