OPERATION OF LIQUID-METAL FIELD-ION EMITTERS UNDER MICROGRAVITY

Ion-beam technology has found a wide spectrum of applications in space exploration, ranging from electric propulsion and spacecraft-potential control to the mass analysis of matter on planetary missions, and most recently in the development of a materials-analysis tool for use on-board space stations. So far, all instruments employing ion-beam emission have relied on gas-fed, Kaufmann-type ion sources. This paper reports the development of a 'Liquid-Metal Ion Source' (LMIS) for space applications which, among other advantages, reduces both power and mass requirements by a factor of 10 compared with conventional systems. Results from the first three systems exploiting an LMIS are also briefly discussed.