Plasma-wall interaction in Hall thrusters with magnetic lens configuration
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, George Washington University, 801 22nd St., Washington, DC 20052 (United States)
Some recently developed Hall thrusters utilize a magnetic field configuration in which the field lines penetrate the thruster walls at a high incidence angle. This so-called magnetic lens leads to an electric field pointing away from the walls, which is expected to reduce ion losses and improve thruster efficiency. This configuration also introduces an interesting behavior in the sheath formation. At sufficiently large angles, ions are repelled from the wall, and sheath collapse is expected. We use a plasma simulation code to investigate this phenomenon in detail. We consider the role of the magnetic field incidence angle, secondary electron emission, and a magnetic mirror. Numerical study confirms the theoretical predictions, and at large angles, ions are seen to turn away from the wall. We also consider the role of the magnetic field geometry on ion wall flux and channel erosion, and observe reduction in both quantities as the magnetic field incidence angle is increased.
- OSTI ID:
- 22089243
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 111, Issue 12; Other Information: (c) 2012 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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