Effect of magnetic field profile on the anode fall in a Hall-effect thruster discharge

Journal Article · Mon May 15 00:00:00 EDT 2006 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2174825· OSTI ID:20783188

Dorf, L; Raitses, Y; Fisch, N J ^[1]

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1. Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States)

The effect of the magnetic field configuration on the anode fall in an E-vectorxB-vector discharge of a Hall thruster is studied both experimentally and theoretically. Plasma potential, electron temperature, and plasma density in the near-anode region are measured with a biased probe in three configurations of the magnetic field. It is observed that the anode fall in a Hall thruster can be changed from negative to positive by creating a magnetic field configuration with a zero magnetic field region. Similar configurations are utilized in some advanced Hall thrusters, like an ATON thruster. Results of the measurements are employed to model a Hall thruster with different magnetic field configurations, including the one with a zero-field region. Different anode sheath regimes observed experimentally are used to set the boundary conditions for the quasineutral plasma. Numerical solutions obtained with a hydrodynamic quasi-one-dimensional model suggest that varying the magnetic field configuration affects the electron mobility both inside and outside the channel, as well as the plasma density distribution along the axis.

• OSTI ID: 20783188
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 13, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2174825; (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ANODES
BOUNDARY CONDITIONS
DISTRIBUTION
ELECTRON MOBILITY
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
HALL EFFECT
ION TEMPERATURE
IONS
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PLASMA
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA POTENTIAL
PLASMA SHEATH
RADIATION TRANSPORT
THRUSTERS