A method to measure the in situ magnetic field in a Hall thruster based on the Faraday rotation effect

Abstract

This paper presents a method to measure the in situ magnetic field in a Hall thruster by optical non-invasive means, based on the optical Faraday rotation effect. This method does not affect the discharge of the thruster. Furthermore, its time resolution depends on the speed of the photodetector, and measurement at a MHz scale can be achieved.