Abstract
We characterize the ion velocity flow field in the plasma ejected from a Quad Confinement Thruster using non-intrusive 2-D laser-induced fluorescence diagnostics. Measurements show a free-space ion acceleration layer located 8 cm downstream of the exit plane, with an observed ion velocity increase from 3 km/s to 10 km/s within a region of 1 cm thickness or less. The ion velocity field is investigated with different magnetic configurations, demonstrating how distorting the magnetic field produces changes in ion velocity magnitude and direction as well as in metastable (probed) ion density.