The curling probe: A numerical and experimental study. Application to the electron density measurements in an ECR plasma thruster.

The measurement of electron density is a key issue in understanding and controlling plasma applications. To date, plasma density in electric thrusters has been mainly evaluated with electrostatic techniques, such as the Langmuir probe, which could be quite invasive. In this paper, we propose the application of a microwave resonant probe, the curling probe, to the diagnostic of an electrodeless plasma thruster.