Abstract: A thruster (1) has a main chamber (6) defined within a tube (2). The tube has a longitudinal axis which defines an axis (4) of thrust; an injector (8) injects ionizable gas within the tube, at one end of the main chamber. An ionizer (124) is adapted to ionize the injected gas within the main chamber (6). A first magnetic field generator (12, 14) and an electromagnetic field generator (18) are adapted to generate a magnetized ponderomotive accelerating field downstream of said ionizer (124) along the direction of thrust on said axis (4). The thruster (1) ionizes the gas, and subsequently accelerates both electrons and ions by the magnetized ponderomotive force.

Abstract: A thruster has a chamber defined within a tube. The tube has a longitudinal axis which defines an axis of thrust; an injector injects ionizable gas within the tube, at one end of the chamber. A magnetic field generator with two coils generates a magnetic field parallel to the axis; the magnetic field has two maxima along the axis; an electromagnetic field generator has a first resonant cavity between the two coils generating a microwave ionizing field at the electron cyclotron resonance in the chamber, between the two maxima of the magnetic field. The electromagnetic field generator has a second resonant cavity on the other side of the second coil. The second resonant cavity generates a ponderomotive accelerating field accelerating the ionized gas. The thruster ionizes the gas by electron cyclotron resonance, and subsequently accelerates both electrons and ions by the magnetized ponderomotive force.

Abstract: A thruster (1) has a main chamber (6) defined within a tube (2). The tube has a longitudinal axis which defines an axis (4) of thrust; an injector (8) injects ionizable gas within the tube, at one end of the main chamber. An ionizer (124) is adapted to ionize the injected gas within the main chamber (6). A first magnetic field generator (12, 14) and an electromagnetic field generator (18) are adapted to generate a magnetized ponderomotive accelerating field downstream of said ionizer (124) along the direction of thrust on said axis (4), The thruster (1) ionizes the gas, and subsequently accelerates both electrons and ions by the magnetized ponderomotive force.