2 ms·
It was a big guess for sure. To be clear, I don't know. I did find this in my search, which suggests it's not exponential[0], so it seems you're correct. There'
by CSSer 4y ago
It was a big guess for sure. To be clear, I don't know. I did find this in my search, which suggests it's not exponential[0], so it seems you're correct. There's a drop-off at higher exhaust speeds, but it's unclear to me why that is.
[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_thruster#Energy_efficiency https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_thruster#Energy_efficiency
- IIAOPSW 4y agoKinetic energy of the particles (which has to ultimately come out of the battery) is proportional to mv^2. Momentum of the particles (which is ultimately equal and opposite to thrust) is proportional to mv.