Erlangen 2026 – scientific programme

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P: Fachverband Plasmaphysik

P 16: Poster Session Plasma Physics

P 16.44: Poster

Thursday, March 19, 2026, 13:45–15:45, Redoutensaal

Design and simulation of a Cylindrical Deflection Analyzer — •Leo Zeidler, Thomas Trottenberg, and Holger Kersten — Christian-Albrechts-Universität Kiel

Electric propulsion (EP) thrusters have become standard in satellite systems since the 1990s [1]. The growing demand for space missions has accelerated the development and refinement of new thruster concepts [2]. The Ref4EP project, a collaboration between Kiel University, Giessen University, and IOM Leipzig, aims to standardize pre-flight testing procedures for EP devices. This involves the development of a 127° Cylindrical Deflection Analyzer (CDA) which is an alternative to traditional Retarding Potential Analyzers (RPAs) for measuring ion energy distribution functions (IEDFs) in ion beams. While on-flight diagnostics typically rely on robust top-hat analyzers, the CDA offers advantages for laboratory environments due to simple electrode geometry and higher energy resolution.

The final CDA design along with numerical simulations are presented.

[1] K. Holste et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 91 (2020) 061101

[2] T. Trottenberg et al., EPJ Tech. Instrum. 8 (2021) 16

Keywords: Ion Beam; Electric Propulsion; Diagnostic