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SQUID holder with high magnetic shielding

A SQUID holder designed for high magnetic shielding is discussed. It is shown how to estimate the attenuation of the magnetic field from the normal magnetic modes for an approximate geometry. The estimate agrees satisfactorily with the attenuation measured with a commercial RF SQUID installed in the holder. The holder attenuates external magnetic fields by more than 10 to the 9th at the SQUID input. With the SQUID input shorted, the response to external fields is 0.00001 Phi(0)/G.

Rigby, K. W.

Magnetic Shield Design Modeling and Validation for SWOT Spacecraft Ka-Band Extended Interaction Klystron

Two Extended Interaction Klystrons (EIKs) containing strong permanent magnets were modeled magnetically in a representative spacecraft geometry using commercial finite element modeling techniques and were validated against measurements made at varying distances. Initial modeling results for the 63 A-m2 dipole moment magnets showed that magnetic shields would be necessary in order to meet magnetic field requirements for the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) spacecraft, which contains components that are susceptible to external DC magnetic fields. JPL and the EIK vendor proposed cold rolled steel and mu-metal as potential shield materials along with proposed thicknesses of 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm. Magnetic shields made from each of these materials were designed and modeled in software, taking highfield saturation into account. Prototype magnetic shields with these parameters were then built, measured with an existing EIK, and compared against modeling results. For single-axis field measurements along the dipole axis, modeling results were within 7 gauss of the measured values at 10 cm from the magnet, and converged to less than 1.5 gauss at distances greater than 14 cm from the magnet. Three-axis field measurements at locations of interest showed that model correlation improved to within 4 gauss at 11 cm and 2 gauss for distances ranging between 15 cm and 36 cm.

Gonzales, Edward

Magnetic Shield Design Modeling and Validation for SWOT Spacecraft Ka-Band Extended Interaction Klystron

Two Extended Interaction Klystrons (EIKs) containing strong permanent magnets were modeled magnetically in a representative spacecraft geometry using commercial finite element modeling techniques and were validated against measurements made at varying distances. Initial modeling results for the 63 A-m2 (amperes per square meter) dipole moment magnets showed that magnetic shields would be necessary in order to meet magnetic field requirements for the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) spacecraft, which contains components that are susceptible to external DC (Direct Current) magnetic fields. JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) and the EIK vendor proposed cold rolled steel and mu-metal as potential shield materials along with proposed thicknesses of 0.5 millimeters and 1.5 millimeters. Magnetic shields made from each of these materials were designed and modeled in software, taking high-field saturation into account. Prototype magnetic shields with these parameters were then built, measured with an existing EIK, and compared against modeling results. For single-axis field measurements along the dipole axis, modeling results were within 7 gauss of the measured values at 10 centimeters from the magnet, and converged to less than 1.5 gauss at distances greater than 14 centimeters from the magnet. Three-axis field measurements at locations of interest showed that model correlation improved to within 4 gauss at 11 centimeters and 2 gauss for distances ranging between 15 centimeters and 36 centimeters.

Gonzales, Edward

Performance, Facility Pressure Effects, and Stability Characterization Tests of NASA's Hall Effect Rocket with Magnetic Shielding Thruster

NASAs Hall Effect Rocket with Magnetic Shielding (HERMeS) 12.5 kW Technology Demonstration Unit-1 (TDU-1) Hall thruster has been the subject of extensive technology maturation in preparation for flight system development. Part of the technology maturation effort included experimental evaluation of the TDU-1 thruster with conducting and dielectric front pole cover materials in two different electrical configurations. A graphite front pole cover thruster configuration with the thruster body electrically tied to cathode and an alumina front pole cover thruster configuration with the thruster body floating were evaluated. Both configurations were also evaluated at different facility background pressure conditions to evaluate background pressure effects on thruster operation. Performance characterization tests found that higher thruster performance was attained with the graphite front pole cover configuration with the thruster electrically tied to cathode. A total thrust efficiency of 68 and a total specific impulse of 2,820 s was demonstrated at a discharge voltage of 600 V and a discharge power of 12.5 kW. Thruster stability regimes were characterized with respect to the thruster discharge current oscillations and with maps of the current-voltage-magnetic field (IVB). Analysis of TDU-1 discharge current waveforms found that lower normalized discharge current peak-to-peak and root mean square magnitudes were attained when the thruster was electrically floated with alumina front pole covers. Background pressure effects characterization tests indicated that the thruster performance and stability was mostly invariant to changes in the facility background pressure for vacuum chamber pressure below 110-5 Torr-Xe (for thruster flow rate above 8 mgs). Power spectral density analysis of the discharge current waveform showed that increasing the vacuum chamber background pressure resulted in a higher discharge current dominant frequency. Finally the IVB maps of the TDU-1 thruster taken at elevated magnetic fields indicated that the discharge current became more oscillatory with increased facility background pressure at lower thruster mass flow rates, where thruster operation at higher flow rates resulted in less change to the thrusters IVB characteristics.

Hall Thrusters

Performance, Facility Pressure Effects, and Stability Characterization Tests of NASA's Hall Effect Rocket with Magnetic Shielding Thruster

NASA's Hall Effect Rocket with Magnetic Shielding (HERMeS) 12.5 kW Technology Demonstration Unit-1 (TDU-1) has been the subject of extensive technology maturation in preparation for flight system development. Part of the technology maturation effort included experimental evaluation of the TDU-1 thruster with conducting and dielectric front pole cover materials in two different electrical configurations. A graphite front magnetic pole cover thruster configuration with the thruster body electrically tied to cathode, and an alumina front pole cover thruster configuration with the thruster body floating were evaluated. Both configurations were also evaluated at different facility background pressure conditions to evaluate background pressure effects on thruster operation. Performance characterization tests found that higher thruster performance was attained with the graphite front pole cover configuration with the thruster electrically tied to cathode. A total thrust efficiency of 68% and a total specific impulse of 2,820 s was demonstrated at a discharge voltage of 600 V and a discharge power of 12.5 kW. Thruster stability regimes were characterized with respect to the thruster discharge current oscillations and with maps of the discharge current-voltage-magnetic field (IVB). Analysis of TDU-1 discharge current waveforms found that lower normalized discharge current peak-to-peak and root mean square magnitudes were attained when the thruster was electrically floated with alumina front pole covers. Background pressure effects characterization tests indicated that the thruster performance and stability were mostly invariant to changes in the facility background pressure for vacuum chamber pressure below 1×10-5 Torr-Xe (for thruster flow rates of 20.5 mg/s). Power spectral density analysis of the discharge current waveforms showed that increasing the vacuum chamber background pressure resulted in a higher discharge current dominant breathing mode frequency. Finally, IVB maps of the TDU-1 thruster indicated that the discharge current became more oscillatory with higher discharge current peak-to-peak and RMS values with increased facility background pressure at lower thruster mass flow rates; thruster operation at higher flow rates resulted in less change to the thruster's IVB characteristics with elevated background pressure.

Electric Propulsion

The Side Plume of Magnetically Shielded Hall Thrusters

A combination of near-thruster laser-induced fluorescence and far-field plasma probe measurements collected from two magnetically shielded Hall thrusters have shown that there exist an independent ion population of medium-energy (on average, 60-190 eV) exiting out the side (60° to 100° from firing axis) of the thrusters. Studying the trends with background pressure and known discrepancies between the laser-induced fluorescence and far-field plasma probe data suggest that at zero pressure the side plume is likely to exhibit higher energy and lower density than at facility background pressures. The possibility that these ions were produced by the modified two-stream instability is explored and while the agreement is good, there are areas of notable disagreement. Based on the idea that production of the side plume and channel exit striations are due to the same plasma wave actions, a theory was explored that explains why striations form under certain circumstances but not others. Another theory, based on the idea that side plume production only occurs over certain portion of the global discharge oscillation cycle, was also explored and areas of disagreement were identified. While the exact mechanism for side plume acceleration remains unclear, if the theory behind side plume production is correct, then side plume can be expected to be present in a wide range of magnetically-shielded as well as non-shielded Hall thrusters.

Hall thruster

The Side Plume of Magnetically Shielded Hall Thrusters

A combination of near-thruster laser-induced fluorescence and far-field plasma probe measurements collected from two magnetically shielded Hall thrusters have shown that there exist an independent ion population of medium-energy (on average, 60-190 eV) exiting out the side (60° to 100° from firing axis) of the thrusters. Studying the trends with background pressure and known discrepancies between the laser-induced fluorescence and far-field plasma probe data suggest that at zero pressure the side plume is likely to exhibit higher energy and lower density than at facility background pressures. The possibility that these ions were produced by the modified two-stream instability is explored and while the agreement is good, there are areas of notable disagreement. Based on the idea that production of the side plume and channel exit striations are due to the same plasma wave actions, a theory was explored that explains why striations form under certain circumstances but not others. Another theory, based on the idea that side plume production only occurs over certain portion of the global discharge oscillation cycle, was also explored and areas of disagreement were identified. While the exact mechanism for side plume acceleration remains unclear, if the theory behind side plume production is correct, then side plume can be expected to be present in a wide range of magnetically-shielded as well as non-shielded Hall thrusters.

Electric propulsion

A deployable high temperature superconducting coil (DHTSC) - A novel concept for producing magnetic shields against both solar flare and Galactic radiation during manned interplanetary missions

The discovery of materials which are superconducting above 100 K makes possible the use of superconducting coils deployed beyong the hull of an interplanetary spacecraft to produce a magnetic shield capable of giving protection not only against solar flare radiation, but also even against Galactic radiation. Such deployed coils can be of very large size and can thus achieve the great magnetic moments required using only relatively low currents. Deployable high-temperature-superconducting coil magnetic shields appear to offer very substantial reductions in mass and energy compared to other concepts and could readily provide the radiation protection needed for a Mars mission or space colonies.

Cocks, F. Hadley

A Study of the Individual Contributions of Heat Generated by a XRISM/Resolve ADR Stage Magnet and Its Magnetic Shielding

A typical Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator (ADR) has modest cooling power, on the order of a few microwatts. Thus, understanding heat loads going into and generated within the ADR is vital to its efficiency as well as the efficiency of the total cryogenic system of a spacecraft. One of the many sources of heat that effects the total cryogenic system is the parasitic heat due to AC loss in the ADR magnet and hysteretic loss in its magnetic shielding during a ramp. Although the sum of the heat from both of these sources can be measured during the operation of the ADR, the individual contributions are not easily obtainable in situ. Therefore, a study is being conducted to experimentally measure the contributions of the parasitic heat produced during ramping from the magnet only and from the magnet-shield combo. This study will give better inputs to the heat load model of the total cryogenic system being built for the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) slated to launch in 2022.

AC Loss

Magnetic shielding in a low temperature torsion pendulum experiment

A new type of ether drift experiment searches for anomalous torques on a permanent magnet. A torsion pendulum is used at liquid helium temperature, so that superconducting cylinders can be used to shield magnetic fields. Lead shields attenuate the earth's field, while Nb-Sn shields fastened to the pendulum contain the fields of the magnet. The paper describes the technique by which the earth's field can be reduced below 0.0001 G while simultaneously the moment of the magnet can be reduced by a factor 7 x 10 to the 4th.

Phillips, P. R.

Magnetic shielding

Spacecraft and component shielding against earth magnetic field - annotated bibliography

MAGNETIC FIELD

Design of Magnetic Shielding and Field Coils for a TES X-Ray Microcalorimeter Test Platform

The performance of transition-edge sensors (TES) and their SQUID multiplexed readouts is very sensitive to ambient magnetic field and its fluctuations. In order to run ground experiments on thousands of X-ray TES microcalorimeters with a small uniform ambient magnetic field (< 1 μT, with a uniformity < 0.1 μT), we need a very low ambient field to be trapped into the superconducting magnetic shields. We have designed a sub-Kelvin test platform to reach these specifications. For this purpose, we modeled a new design for the shielding consisting of a series of different mu-metal and superconducting shields, including a niobium shield at 50 mK, a cryoperm (A4K) shield at 3 K, and a mu-metal shield at 300 K. A magnetic field coil is used to vary the local perpendicular magnetic field over the TES array. To optimize this field, we have studied a number of different field-coil designs and the impact of the different shield geometries, in order to reach the required field uniformity.

Miniussi, Antoine R.

UCSD High Energy X-ray Timing Experiment magnetic shield design and test results

Results are reported from an effort to define a passive magnetic field concept for the High Energy X-ray Timing Experiment (HEXTE), in the interest of reducing the detector-gain variations due to 0.5-1.0-sec timescale magnetic field variations. This will allow a sensitivity of the order of 1 percent of the HEXTE background. While aperture modulation and automatic gain control will minimize effects on timescales of tens of seconds and longer, passive magnetic shielding of the photomultiplier tubes will address 1-sec timescale variations due to aperture motions.

Rothschild, Richard E.

Magnetic shielding for a spaceborne adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR)

The Goddard Space Flight Center has studied magnetic shielding for an adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator. Four types of shielding were studied: active coils, passive ferromagnetic shells, passive superconducting coils, and passive superconducting shells. The passive superconducting shells failed by allowing flux penetration. The other three methods were successful, singly or together. Experimental studies of passive ferromagnetic shielding are compared with calculations made using the Poisson Group of programs, distributed by the Los Alamos Accelerator Code Group of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Agreement between calculation and experiment is good. The ferromagnetic material is a silicon iron alloy.

Warner, Brent A.

Magnetic Shield Design Modeling and Validation on SWOT Spacecraft Applied to Mars Flux Pinning Orbiting Sample Design

A modeling methodology was developed for use on the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission for the computational modeling and design of a magnetic shield for a 63 A-sq m source. Shield options were modeled and tested across various design parameters and validated with measurement. Measurement results fell within 10% of simulation in most cases of concern with sources of error well understood. These methods results informed a subsequent modeling activity for a future Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission concept with stringent magnetic cleanliness requirements to retain geologic integrity of the samples. One option for capturing the sample from orbit requires rare earth magnets in close proximity to the Martian samples. Magnetic modeling with a finite-element method solver estimated the magnetic environment and established the need for shielding. Further modeling then determined the shielding necessary to meet magnetic requirements, followed by the design of a mass-optimized solution.

Gonzales, Edward

Design of a Laboratory Hall Thruster with Magnetically Shielded Channel Walls, Phase I: Numerical Simulations

In a proof-of-principle effort to demonstrate the feasibility of magnetically shielded (MS) Hall thrusters, an existing laboratory thruster has been modified with the guidance of physics-based numerical simulation. When operated at a discharge power of 6-kilowatts the modified thruster has been designed to reduce the total energy and flux of ions to the channel insulators by greater than 1 and greater than 3 orders of magnitude, respectively. The erosion rates in this MS thruster configuration are predicted to be at least 2-4 orders of magnitude lower than those in the baseline (BL) configuration. At such rates no detectable erosion is expected to occur.

Plasma