Physics of Hall-effect thruster by particle model

Journal Article · Tue Nov 27 00:00:00 EST 2012 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4769702· OSTI ID:22075844

Taccogna, Francesco; Minelli, Pierpaolo; Capitelli, Mario; Longo, Savino ^[1]

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1. Istituto di Metodologie Inorganiche e dei Plasmi (IMIP), CNR, via Amendola 122/D 70126 Bari (Italy)

A realistic three-dimensional fully kinetic particle simulation of a Hall-effect thruster discharge has been developed. The model consists of a Particle-in-Cell methodology tracking electrons, Xe{sup +} and Xe{sup ++} ions in their selfconsistent electric field. A detailed secondary electron emission from lateral walls is also implemented in addition with electron-atom and electron-ion volume collisions. The model is able to capture the most relevant features of axial, radial and azimuthal behaviors of the start-up transient and steady state phases detecting inverted sheaths and azimuthal modulation in the acceleration region. The model has the potentiality to investigate the driving mechanisms at the origin of the electron anomalous cross-field transport.

• OSTI ID: 22075844
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1501, Issue 1; Conference: 28. international symposium on rarefied gas dynamics 2012, Zaragoza (Spain), 9-13 Jul 2012; Other Information: (c) 2012 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ACCELERATION
ATOMS
CATIONS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRON EMISSION
ELECTRON-ATOM COLLISIONS
ELECTRON-ION COLLISIONS
ELECTRONS
HALL EFFECT
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
PLASMA
PLASMA SHEATH
PLASMA SIMULATION
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
THRUSTERS
XENON IONS