PLASMA ACCELERATOR WITH CLOSED ELECTRON DRIFT AND CONDUCTIVE INSERTS

PLASMA ACCELERATOR WITH CLOSED ELECTRON DRIFT AND CONDUCTIVE INSERTS A plasma accelerator with closed electron drift comprising a dielectric disc harge chamber (6) with internal and external annular walls (13) forming an annular accelerating channel, and a magnetic system with sources (3) of a magnetic field, a magne tic path (2), external (4) and internal (5) magnetic poles forming an operating gap in the region of the discharge chamber exit edges. An anode unit (7) with a gas distributor is lo cated in the accelerating channel interior, and the distance from the anode-gas distribut or (7) to the accelerating channel exit plane exceeds said channel width. A cathode-compen sator (I) is located beyond the exit plane of the discharge chamber (6). Exit parts of th e discharge chamber walls (13) facing the accelerating channel are made of conducting material. At least one dividing annular groove (12) is made on each chamber wall between its conduc ting and main parts. Conducting parts of the discharge chamber walls are made as annular i nserts (8,9) out of material resistant to ion sputtering. This invention increases accelerator e fficiency, and decreases the sputtering rate of the plasma accelerator components as well a s accelerator plume divergence. PLASMA ACCELERATOR WITH CLOSED ELECTRON DRIFT AND CONDUCTIVE INSERTS A plasma accelerator with closed electron drift comprising a dielectric discharg e chamber (6) with internal and external annular walls (13) forming an annular acc elerating channel, and a magnetic system with sources (3) of a magnetic field, a magnetic path (2), external (4) and internal (5) magnetic poles forming an operating gap in the reg ion of the discharge chamber exit edges. An anode unit (7) with a gas distributor is locate d in the accelerating channel interior, and the distance from the anode-gas distributor ( 7) to the accelerating channel exit plane exceeds said channel width. A cathode-compensato r (I) is located beyond the exit plane of the discharge chamber (6). Exit parts of the di scharge chamber walls (13) facing the accelerating channel are made of conducting material. At l east one dividing annular groove (12) is made on each chamber wall between its conducting and main parts. Conducting parts of the discharge chamber walls are made as annular inser ts (8,9) out of material resistant to ion sputtering. This invention increases accelerator effic iency, and decreases the sputtering rate of the plasma accelerator components a