Influence of External Electric Field Boundary Conditions on Electrospray Emissions

Abstract

Emission characteristics of a colloid thruster or electrospray depends strongly on the electrochemical property of the ionic liquid as well as its response to the external electric field. Using molecular dynamics, the evolution of the Taylor cone formation for an electrospray device can be analyzed at an atomic level. From our previous work1, it was observed that the electric field strengths required to create and sustain a stable Taylor cone are correlated to the internal nanostructure of the propellant ionic liquid. The location of the applied extraction potential with respect to the capillary produces differences in the strength and the shape of the resulting external electric fields. The varying electric fields are strongest at the mouth of the capillary and affect the emission rate, Taylor cone stability, as well as the internal nanostructure of the ionic liquid. In this work, we will study the effects of variable electric field shape and strength on the Taylor cone structure.