Al, this is the same technique several people used in laser ablation of superconductors to keep the windows clean of deposits from the plume from the target material. So commercial vacuum manufacturers have made this already and seems like it only needs to be scaled up to meet his needs.
Well, as I recall even in laser ablation of oxides materials in a hard vacuum with a distribution of particles that went as (cos (theata))^10 and with an angle of 45 degrees between the laser beam and the normal of the target I needed to clean the windows every six months. I don't think the thursters have as sharp of distribution of particles as I had; though, I could wrong on that point.
Ugh again. As project administration I'd definitely want it checked out if for no other reason than CYA (for the next grant cycle).
Now I'm wondering how this has been avoided in previous spacecraft design. Somebody's already done this work.
Mark L. Fergerson
Perhaps by not positioning the antenna in the exhaust plume of a rocket motor?
:-)
jk
Stop talking dirty.
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