Experimental and analytical studies have been conducted on the performance and thrust production mechanisms of an applied-field magnetoplasmadynamic thruster. The thruster was able to run with a high-thruster performance due to large electromagnetic effects related to the applied magnetic field. Using hydrogen, helium, and argon as the propellant, over 20 percent thrust efficiency was obtained over a wide specific impulse range from 1000 to 7000 s at input power levels between 2.2 and 15.9 kW. From the measurements of performance characteristics and current densities in the acceleration region, and by a theoretical analysis, it is found that the thruster operation is characterized by a parameter, B-squared/m (B: applied magnetic field strength, m: propellant mass flow rate). 9 refs.
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Sasoh et al. (1992) studied this question.