Christine Charles

Professor Christine Charles is a Professor in the Department of PHY at The Australian National University. Her research interests include Plasma Propulsion, specifically Helicon double layer thrusters, Current-free Electric Double Layers, Expanding magnetised and non-magnetised plasmas, Ion sources, Space plasmas, Plasma Processing, and Hydrogen Fuel Cells. She is the inventor of the Helicon Double Layer Thruster, a new type of space engine with applications in satellite station keeping and interplanetary space travel. She is also involved in the study of particle acceleration in the Earth Aurora and the Acceleration of the Solar Wind. Professor Charles is Head of the Space Plasma, Power and Propulsion laboratory at the Australian National University.

Christine Charles is a researcher at the Australian National University, focusing on plasma physics and its applications in spacecraft propulsion. Her work explores the development and characterization of plasma-based micropropulsion systems for small satellites, including helicon double layer thrusters. She investigates phenomena such as current-free double layers, ion beam formation, and the electron diamagnetic effect on axial force in expanding plasmas. Her research also includes experimental studies on plasma catalytic synthesis and sputtering deposition techniques for advanced energy applications. Charles's contributions emphasize the interplay between experimental observations and theoretical models in plasma science.