Dielectric coated ion thruster

This paper describes an ion accelerator apparatus. It comprises: a source of free electrons; a chamber connected to the source of free electrons; means for accelerating the free electrons within the chamber; means for introducing a flow of a gas comprising atoms having a neutral charge into the chamber, the accelerated free electrons colliding with the atoms of the gas causing valence shell electrons to be lost by the atoms, producing therefrom a plasma of positively charged ions; and a metallic grid plate comprising one wall of the chamber and provided with spaced apart perforations extending therethrough, the grid plate being coated on both its inner and outer sides with a layer of an insulating material having a much higher dielectric constant that the metallic grid plate, the grid plate being connected to an electric potential substantially more negative than the positively charged ions so that ions drifting into the vicinity of the metallic grid plate are accelerated toward it, passing out of the chamber through the perforations. The surface of the layer of insulating material on the inner side of the metallic grid plate has an electric potential approximately equal to that of the plasma and thus acting as a screen grid, both layers of insulating material protecting the metallic grid plate from erosion by charged ions and insulating the chamber against thermal and electrical losses