Lillie LaPlace's MS Thesis Defense
Lillie LaPlace's MS Thesis Defense, Electron Cyclotron Resonance Thruster Diagnostics & Performance Analysis, Committee
Justin Little (Chair), Uri Shumlak
Abstract
This thesis describes the process by which the performance of an electrodeless, coaxial electron cyclotron resonance thruster is evaluated. Using a thrust stand, retarding potential analyzer, and Faraday probe, the performance of the thruster under various permutations of steady state and pulsed operating regimes was analyzed in terms of thrust performance, plasma properties, including ion energy distribution functions, pulse current contour profiles, and thruster plume characteristics, including plume divergence and mass utilization efficiency. Performance for each permutation of pulsed operating regime is evaluated and compared quantitatively using a series of analysis scripts to isolate the thruster’s behavior at different time slices throughout a pulse. Operating in a high maximum power pulse regime, with a low average power, could offer a way…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Guggenheim Hall (GUG). Online Meeting Link: https://washington.zoom.us/my/gugg305. Campus room: 305. Accessibility Contact: aafrontdesk@uw.edu. Event Types: Academics.
Wednesday, August 19, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM.
Instruction Ends - Summer 2026 - Full and B-term
Instruction ends.
Event interval: Single day event. Year: 2026. Quarter: Summer. Event Types: Academics.
Friday, August 21, 2026.
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Event interval: Single day event. Year: 2026. Quarter: Autumn. Event Types: Academics.
Monday, September 7, 2026.
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Instruction begins.
Event interval: Single day event. Year: 2026. Quarter: Autumn. Event Types: Academics.
Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
For more info visit www.washington.edu.