Electron Transport and Ion Acceleration in a Low-power Cylindrical Hall Thruster
- Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Conventional annular Hall thrusters become inefficient when scaled to low power. Cylindrical Hall thrusters, which have lower surface-to-volume ratio, are therefore more promising for scaling down. They presently exhibit performance comparable with conventional annular Hall thrusters. Electron cross-field transport in a 2.6 cm miniaturized cylindrical Hall thruster (100 W power level) has been studied through the analysis of experimental data and Monte Carlo simulations of electron dynamics in the thruster channel. The numerical model takes into account elastic and inelastic electron collisions with atoms, electron-wall collisions, including secondary electron emission, and Bohm diffusion. We show that in order to explain the observed discharge current, the electron anomalous collision frequency {nu}{sub B} has to be on the order of the Bohm value, {nu}{sub B} {approx} {omega}{sub c}/16. The contribution of electron-wall collisions to cross-field transport is found to be insignificant. The plasma density peak observed at the axis of the 2.6 cm cylindrical Hall thruster is likely to be due to the convergent flux of ions, which are born in the annular part of the channel and accelerated towards the thruster axis.
- Research Organization:
- Princeton Plasma Physics Lab., Princeton, NJ (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC) (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH03073
- OSTI ID:
- 828205
- Report Number(s):
- PPPL-3971
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Electron Cross-field Transport in a Low Power Cylindrical Hall Thruster
Electron Cross-field Transport in a Miniaturized Cylindrical Hall Thruster
Parametric Investigations of Miniaturized Cylindrical and Annular Hall Thrusters
Technical Report
·
Thu Jun 24 00:00:00 EDT 2004
·
OSTI ID:828197
Electron Cross-field Transport in a Miniaturized Cylindrical Hall Thruster
Technical Report
·
Fri Oct 14 00:00:00 EDT 2005
·
OSTI ID:899585
Parametric Investigations of Miniaturized Cylindrical and Annular Hall Thrusters
Conference
·
Tue Oct 16 00:00:00 EDT 2001
·
OSTI ID:788455